Phoenix: The Apeiron Crusade
by Fireteam Pluto
Summary: By Neeb. A mysterious enemy from the Vanguards' past has returned seeking vengeance. Their foe can make even the most powerful guardians quake with fear. Can the Tower's lovable idiots conquer this new and unique adversary? Set after Phoenix: Heat of Moment.
1. Prologue: Alpha Genesis

**Prologue: Alpha Genesis.**

"If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." A gravelly and hauntingly synthetic voice echoed throughout the vast and dark chamber. Rising above the lone figure on either side were rows of terraced platforms overgrowing with vibrant green vegetation that spilled over into the central valley to spread along the ground and over the walking path.

" _This you know to be true._ " Came the response, this one decidedly artificial.

The lone figure passed by the terraces of vines and the developing underbrush and canopy that resulted from the explosion of life. Here there was only the light from the auxiliary systems that shone down upon him in dull yellow tones, flickering on and off to follow his path through the facility. He absently ran his hand along the wall, tapping the steel rhythmically. "Were they destined to fall?"

The voice called out from above, " _It was inevitable._ "

He gently caressed a flowering vine, strong fingers delicately admiring its pastel-pink bud, before moving on down the path. The end of the artificial valley brought him to a single set of doors. He pressed his hand to the control panel just to the right of them. This, he knew, was a formality. The screen remained black, cracked and spilling with the roots and lichen of what passed for age in this place. Still, the electronically sealed doors creaked and forced themselves open for him, just barely offering him enough room to slip through as they shuddered and groaned, caught on the invading plants that had long taken residence in their way.

As the doors nearly slammed shut after he was through, he could hear the faint chugging noise of the hydraulic systems that nourished the vegetation. High above in the vaulted heights of the chamber the misters sputtered out life-giving water to choking vines and reaching roots.

Directly ahead of him was a long hallway bathed in darkness. Still the flickering old emergency lights followed him as he made his way down it, illuminating only the immediate area around him. The steel floor, walls and ceiling were in certain places shoved apart to give way to invasive vines and fungi. Every thirty paces or so down the hall was another door similarly locked with a panel long since dead. His destination was the first door on the left, the sign above which read "System Control" in faded paint.

At this door he placed his hand again on the black and broken screen, and waited patiently. After a moment the door hissed and slid open easily, revealing a shorter hallway that ended in another door, this one larger and tilted on its axis to resemble a diamond as opposed to a standard rectangular door. He stepped into this hall and the door shut behind him swiftly.

The auxiliary lights sputtered out, leaving him in complete darkness for a moment before the floor erupted in a flood of deep red light lining the set pathway. Ahead, the diamond-shaped door's center glowed a brilliant white before blinking a few times and opening with a whine of old metal fighting its rust.

He stepped through this door. The room ahead was bathed in dim red light emanating from the floor through the steel grating. His boots clanked noisily on the ground as he approached the center of the room. This chamber was large and cylindrical, dominated in the center by a monolithic pillar of a supercomputer in the center that rose up to the ceiling in the pitch-black heights. Long ago he had reasoned that there had probably been an efficient method of gaining access to the upper level of the room, but it had not survived the centuries.

At the foot of the pillar, which was as wide around as an ancient tree, was a single chair that he promptly sat down in, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands.

" _You have returned, Judas._ "

The man nodded. "Of course, Methuselah." He sighed. There were, after so long, still so many formalities with this thing.

The pillar's motors stirred to motion and several of the displays flared to life, glitching screens flickering to illuminate the room just a little further, this time with whatever color light it could muster. As the voice returned the pillar blinked and pulsed with the tone in varying colors.

" _What has brought you here to me again?_ "

"Answers."

" _No. Questions._ "

"Yes."

" _Proceed, Son of Man._ "

Judas-33 nodded, looking up to the pillar's foremost forward-facing monitor as if it were the thing's face. "There is darkness in their hearts, and in their midst. The vanguard is corrupted beyond measure and take orders from a false prophet who hides behind a mask."

" _What would you ask of me then, little Judas?_ "

Judas steepled his fingers and leaned back in the hard-backed chair. "Guide me. As you have before."

The pillar was silent for a moment. Then: " _You have the path set before your heart already. Is it guidance you seek, or reassurance?_ "

"Affirm my path then. Tell it to me again so I may keep it in my mind."

" _Very well. I will not be here forever, little Judas. Keep a mind to truly heed my words this time._ "

He nodded solemnly, and it seemed to accept this as an understanding before speaking again.

" _The Son of Man will arrive in a time long from now,_ " It recited in almost joyful tones, " _and with him he shall carry the light in his whole body to extinguish the darkness._ "

Silence overcame them.

"You've said it the same way dozens of times. Is that all you have for me?" Judas nearly let out an exasperated sigh but held it in.

" _It is all you need._ "

"Not what I want."

" _The Son of Man came to serve. To save lives. To bring about a second Golden Age. Is this not you?_ "

"If you are to die soon, Methuselah, but still see him, I see no other option."

" _Humility is the best quality of the Son of Man. Tell me more of this vanguard._ "

This time he did allow himself to sigh. "They were once of the light. Like me. But they have been tempted to darkness and now they, unlike me, have not conquered it within themselves. They serve a false prophet and order their innocent faithful to fight a war that cannot be won."

" _What do you want?_ "

"I want to stop them. To destroy them and save the other guardians. To lead them all in a righteous war. To save them." Judas closed his good optic, but his alien replacement remained open and vigilant despite his desire to rest for a moment.

" _Then do what is required. As the Son of Man, it is your right to expel the darkness in these lesser men. They have struck you and done you wrong. Little Judas, you must not take this lightly. Go to the heart of their darkness, their misplaced faith, and seek your answers there. To understand the true nature of their intentions and their weaknesses will bring you strength and the knowledge to defeat them._ "

Judas nodded. "And when they are found to be contemptible?"

" _Righteous absolution. Sinners who have rejected the Son of Man can expect no less than eternal torment for such transgressions._ "

He stood and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for your wise counsel as always, Methuselah."

" _Will you be taking your leave now, little Judas?_ "

"Yes. I have my mission and know how to accomplish it."

" _Take back the world of men with the light of your soul. Your kingdom is within you._ "

Judas turned on his heel and strode out of the System Control room. His mind was racing with the possibilities, bouncing between each sequence of potentialities, but always returning to the path set before him. There was, at the heart of all things, only one way this could end: with his victory.

He followed the same path he had taken, this time each door opened for him before he had a chance to slow down in front of it. Past the long hallway and the vast terraced chamber that so reminded him of a lush valley, and up the many stairs that led into a rocky cavern blocked off by a thick steel door that he forced open with his bare hands and slipped out of and into the thick humid air of Venus. He stepped out into the rocky cavern that hid the entrance to the subterranean bunker and emerged once more to the light of day.

Judas gazed out to the ruins of the destroyed city that had long since lost its name, to the sky streaked with yellow haze, to the turbulent sea as black as tar far below that washed the coast away with each irreverent wave, to the looming trees that drooped low under the weight of their own canopies. He clenched his metal jaw and raised his hand up. In front of him a vortex of immeasurable depth and darkness materialized and he stepped into it without hesitation. For the briefest of instants he was enveloped in the nothingness of the void, but he then emerged at his destination.

Snow crunched underfoot, and all around him it glistened like crystals in the light of the moon. All along the steppes the snow dusted and swirled in powdered elegance. The midnight wind whipped at his tattered black coat. Ahead, with perpetual light glowing from above and within its thick walls was the last bastion of humanity, and cradle of the misguided: The Last City. Above it the dead god of the Traveller hovered, silent as it ever had been since he had been awakened.

Judas strode forward and began making his way to the City. He needed answers.


	2. Chapter One: Fight the Good Fight

**Chapter One: Fight the Good Fight**

 _"Hey glowstick, where are you?"_

Koru Sen chuckled and blushed a little at the usage of the new pet name bestowed upon him by his girlfriend, Eve Delaine. He rubbed his eyes with gloved hands and halfway sighed, halfway groaned into the headset he wore by his right ear. "At the bar. The one below the hangar."

 _"Again? Isn't it noon there?"_ Eve asked from the other side of the line, clearly bemused.

"Roy says only quitters get hangovers." He massaged his temples and hung his head. "I think it's because he's never been sober."

 _"Yeah, that sounds like him."_ Eve replied almost wistfully.

"How about you?" Koru asked her. "What are you up to?"

 _"Oh,"_ she hummed a bit as she thought, _"The usual. With the girls on the way to put the boot down on a Hive summoning ritual on the Moon. You know how I feel about those things."_

 _"Ugly little bastards."_ Koru agreed, laying his head on his arm and staring down at the dirty, dark floor with his golden yellow eyes.

The bartender frame came over and poured him a fresh glass of water. It looked him up and down and seemed to nod once. "No charge, Mr. Sen."

"Thanks." Koru responded dryly.

"Your tab of," it paused as if to compute the proper response, then continued in a much more overtly robotic tenor, "ten-thousand and twelve glimmer," it dropped out of its cold cadence, "is still due for payment. Shall I extend the tab another week?"

His head began throbbing. "Yes, that's fine. Please do."

Eve piped up in his earpiece, _"They're still bleeding you dry?"_

"Phoenix pays his portion a few days late but it's all there. It's Roy's habit that's bleeding us all dry. We even had to have Ozara open a fourth tab to keep it manageable." Koru waved the frame away and took a sip from his water. "Ugh. Well, have fun on your mission. Don't let Lily get too flirty with you."

 _"I never do. And you know how she feels about you calling her that."_

"I don't complain when she doesn't even call me by my name. She just calls me 'Eve's boyfriend', right to my face."

 _"She's being protective."_ Eve explained.

"She's being a bitch." Koru corrected.

 _"Hey, now, that's not-"_

With a quickness Koru's agitated nerves could barely fathom he felt a strong grip wrap around his shoulders and pull him to the side, nearly completely off the bar stool he was sat upon. He craned his neck up to see Commander Roy, a huge human man with a full black beard and warm brown eyes grinning down at him. "Koru! Guess what!" he jostled Koru a bit and squeezed the warlock tighter, pressing him against his heavy purple chestplate.

"He'll never guess." Koru felt a hand pat his other shoulder and Phoenix continued, a smirk hidden behind his green eyes as he swept his medium-length brown hair out of his way.

"Go on, guess!" Roy called out almost happily.

Koru wriggled out of Roy's grasp and sat back up on the stool, straightening the collar of his long coat. "You two no longer need my services as a babysitter?"

"What? No. I told you he'd never guess it." Phoenix rolled his eyes and sat down on the stool next to Koru. "No, we got a call from Cayde just now. He's sending us on a super important mission that he can only trust us with."

"He barely knows us." Koru said with a hint of disdain.

"Well it was an urgent distress beacon, he said." Phoenix smiled. "Get your helmet on, we're going."

"They only send distress beacons to guardians already in the field, Phoenix." Koru was nearly hauled to his feet by Roy.

"Then this one is special. Come on, let's go!" He turned to lead the way out of the bar. "Fireteam Pluto, move out!" He formed his hand into a fake gun and fired in the direction of the steel stairs that led up to the Tower's hangar.

Eve spoke up again in Koru's earpiece. _"Oh wow, a secret distress call from the Speaker himself? You must be his favorites."_ She stifled a giggle and sighed in obvious appreciation for her humor.

"Shut up," He said, trying his best to sound playful.

"Come on." Roy said matter-of-factly, grabbing Koru by the arm and dragging him behind Phoenix.

Eve spoke again, _"Hey, well have fun on your big super secret mission, glowstick. Tell Phoenix and Mjolnir I said hey."_

"Wait," Koru followed Roy almost absently, lost in a momentary, yet profoundly infinite, place in spacetime in which his mind could neither work nor focus. Shaking his head and forcing himself out of a thousand-yard stare, he at last found the bits of information that clicked together in his mind. "Mjolnir?" He asked dumbly.

Eve, with obvious rising panic, responded. _"Oh, uh, sorry Koru we're going in a cave, deep underground. Yeah, uhm, right into the Hellmouth! You're breaking up, sorry. Kshh kshh shh."_ She ended with an obviously hastily thrown-in sound of static with her mouth before hanging up the call altogether, leaving Koru with silence in his ear.

"What's that?" Roy asked over his shoulder, clearly having not heard Koru speak.

"Mjolnir." Koru repeated. He ground to a halt and his arm fell limply from Roy's grasp. "Why does that sound familiar?"

Phoenix stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked back to his teammates standing still in the hallway. "What's the hold up guys?"

"Phoenix," Koru looked to his teammate almost pleadingly, his golden eyes wide with desperation. "Why does the name Mjolnir sound familiar?"

Roy interjected before Phoenix could answer. "Mjolnir? That's my dick."

A moment of tense silence came over the three guardians. The warlock looked up to the titan in indignation, the hunter poised to step in and keep them from killing each other.

"Why did Eve call you that?" Koru asked quietly, glaring up at Roy with embers burning in his eyes.

"Who do you think named it that in the first place? I didn't even know what a Mjolnir was before I met her. Or how to say it right." Roy shrugged and smiled happily. "But it fits. I mean, you know, just barely and only with a lot of lube, but still. Like a bigass hammer."

"I can't believe this." Koru looked away and stood still, staring at the plain steel wall in shock. "This is insane. Not real. That means you and my girlfriend..."

"To be fair, she wasn't your girlfriend at the time. I don't even think you were in the Tower yet." Roy offered in vain.

"You fucked Eve." He said simply, turning his attention back to the titan in front of him.

"Well, yeah." Roy's smile faded as he saw the anger contorting Koru's face. "I mean, everyone did."

"And what does that mean?" Koru nearly yelled out, slapping his palm onto Roy's breastplate. The titan was not even moved by the impact, but when a glowing orange rune began pulsing rhythmically upon it under the warlock's hand, Roy finally assessed the danger he was in. "Explain or you're going through the wall. Again."

Roy, for once, was silent. He reached up and slowly grabbed Koru's wrist in his hand firmly but made no move to remove it from his chest.

Phoenix slid in beside the two of them and gripped them both by one shoulder, shifting his gaze between the two of them. "Hey, hey, whoa. Guys, not in the Tower." He looked down to see that Roy's hand was crackling with electricity as the rune on his chest glowed brighter and pulsed faster. "Okay, Koru buddy, you need to calm down, all right?"

"I am calm." Koru said, forcing past a crack in his voice. His throat felt dry and his eyes on fire. He scowled over to Phoenix. "What did that mean, everyone fucked Eve?"

This time Phoenix and Roy shared a nervous glance. "Well, it's true." Phoenix explained slowly. "Remember in Roy's story about his first day as a guardian?"

"The Drunken Tale." Commander Roy corrected.

"Right." Phoenix continued. "That girl at the end? That was Eve. And he had sex with her. But, Koru buddy, you gotta realize that was before you were a guardian-and definitely before my time. And we did some digging after your little date in the steppes," He sighed and looked Koru dead in the eye. "She's had at least a couple dozen guys inside her since her ghost brought her back."

Koru was silent for a moment. Internally, he seriously contemplated the consequences of setting off the explosive rune he held to Roy's chest. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to hug Eve. He wanted to push her away. He wanted to be alone. He wanted to be with his friends. He looked down to his wrist locked in Roy's grip and realized that if he were to set off the rune, the titan would drag the warlock along with him. Koru sighed and recalled the fiery rune, leaving Roy no worse for wear.

"Sorry, brah." Roy loosened his grip on Koru's wrist and instead shifted it into a firm handshake followed by a hug. Koru, numbed to his senses with his mind going a lightyear a microsecond, could not return the act. "I haven't done it with her for a while though. She said she wasn't trying to get serious or anything."

Koru managed to nod in understanding.

Phoenix chimed in, "Hey, look at it this way, bud. Sure she's had a bunch of other guys, but she's with you now. And that's all that matters. Right, Roy?"

Roy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, and she's actually okay with calling you her boyfriend in public. That's new for her."

Phoenix lightly jabbed Roy in the side with his elbow. "Anyway, let's see where Cayde wants us." He held up his hand and whistled. "Hey Skye, where was it that distress beacon came from?"

In a flash of cubic light Phoenix's Ghost, Skye, materialized above his palm and floated. Her center optic was green and her pointed chassis was gray. She spoke in a high, but not overtly annoying, pitch. _"Gah, stop whistling for me. I am not a dog! And Cayde said it was coming from some place called the Burning Shrine on Mercury."_

Koru muttered under his breath, "If it were an actual distress signal everyone who sent it would be dead." He crossed his arms and followed his team as they turned to go up the stairs. His mind was in too many places at once to worry about anything other than a mission.

"The Burning Shrine?" Phoenix asked quizzically. "Is it on fire or something?"

"Oh no." Roy commented, "What if the people who sent the signal are trapped inside? We have to get them out."

Koru interrupted quietly, almost to himself, "Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and this shrine is likely on the sunward facing side of it, or at least a section most likely to see the sun the most often in its solar year. Besides, it was converted into a massive machine by the Vex, there's no way anything is alive enough there to burn and be worried about it."

"Well," Phoenix said, blatantly ignoring Koru's explanation, "We better hurry and get them out."

"I always wanted to be a firefighter." Roy laughed heartily.

Koru held his face in his hands as he followed them to the hangar entrance. "This is going to be a very long day." He groaned in exasperation.

 **II**

"Anything on the radar yet?" Phoenix asked Koru, pulling on his forest-green gasmask-style helmet. From the inside of his ship's cockpit all he could see was a sprawling, never-ending expanse of sand and stone beyond this singular outcropping of cubic rock that was clearly carved by Vex tools millennia ago. No doubt Koru and Roy could see the same thing.

"Yes, it's in the center of the structure. A few readings on the outskirts as well. Can't get a visual from this angle. Should we touch down and see what's going on?" Koru navigated through several screens of the holographic projection in front of him before settling and returning his hands to the ship's pilot wheel. "It could be a siege situation. They could be holed up inside with Vex trying to get at them."

"Let's do it." Roy exclaimed, and his teammates could very clearly hear the telltale sound of him cracking open another beer.

"Yeah, one sec," Phoenix agreed, his mouth full.

"Are you eating?" Koru asked defiantly.

"Yeah, the pizza just got done. Mmm, want some?" Phoenix replied with a laugh as he struggled to swallow his mouthful. He wiped his mouth and lifted his helmet up over his face a little more to see better.

"No." Koru responded dryly.

"What kind is it?" Roy asked.

"Meat lovers'." Phoenix answered.

"Ooh, yeah I'll have some."

"I'll give you a slice when we're down there."

"Ballin'." Roy nodded and a loud hiss echoed through his microphone to signal his ship's airlock being released.

Koru sighed and pulled his own helmet on, released the airlock of his own ship, and took the drop down out from his cockpit to the sandy golden dunes a couple dozen feet below. He activated his glide ability and floated down the last few feet, where Roy was already waiting for him. Phoenix followed a short time later, nonchalantly chewing his pizza loudly as he approached. He handed Roy the promised slice.

Roy took it and immediately took a sizable bite, nearly moaning out as he savored the flavors. "Good shit, Phoenix."

"So what's the situation?" Phoenix asked Koru, tossing the crust of his pizza into the sand and pulling his helmet down over his head completely.

"You idiots are extremely lucky this planet has been completely terraformed." Koru scoffed and turned their attention to the huge complex of massive stone blocks before them.

Directly ahead of them was a tall pillar of stone that looked broken apart by the ages. Beyond that a huge opening reached all the way to the top of the structure, and served as the main entrance; beyond it lay a cavernous main room with the trademark pale white-green glow of Vex light constructs inside. To either side of the main entrance the structure jutted out and its walls expanded over the base in some areas. There looked to be corresponding doors on either the left or right side and they appeared to be much lower and wider than the main entrance-Koru thought their original function might have been more utilitarian than ceremonial: as loading bays.

The three of them looked around the perimeter of the building, but saw no signs of activity even where the ship-based radar system told them there should be.

Koru pointed out to the main entrance, motioning with the beak of his helmet that hung over his visor. "We have three just inside. We should check it out." He suggested.

"Agreed. Roy, you're with Koru, go right. I'll stay back and to the left." Phoenix gave the order and the titan hurriedly sidled up next to the warlock on their approach.

"Roger."

They edged their way around the pillar, keeping their eyes peeled and their heads on swivels. Roy pulled his helmet back on and let out a tremendous belch. Koru tensed and his hand hovered over the pistol on his hip, ready to draw and fire at any threat that might have heard the violent expulsion of gas from Roy's gullet.

"My bad." Roy whispered.

They stepped inside the main chamber of the Burning Shrine. A tall pillar, at least thirty feet high, dominated the relatively small area. A beam of white light shot across the room above the pillar laterally, and to either side of the pillar were huge, slowly rotating stone disks with a geometric section cut out to allow for passage through on one half. Beyond the disks the chamber extended further, and Koru noted that there seemed to be a network of smaller rooms and a central one that looked to house an energizing pillar of light.

What caught their eye most notably, however, were the three guardians leaning against the huge stone pillar. The titan looked up from his conversation with the others to see the entrance of Fireteam Pluto. "About time you showed up. Another five minutes and we'd have had a free first-round win." He spoke laxly and stood up taller to inspect each of them.

Koru's ice-white coat cast an impressive shadow from the raging sun behind him and his helmet, in the vague visage of an eagle, shadowed his visor to be even darker. Commander Roy stood proud and tall in his heavy violet armor tinted with gold and the Jolly Roger flag hanging at his waist. Phoenix slunk in and hugged the wall, his forest green and black medium armor and black hooded scarf betraying his identity as a hunter.

The new titan strode forward confidently, shining nearly gold in the light of the sun so close. Upon closer inspection his heavy armor, adorned with several spike-like protrusions on the shoulders and knees, was a bright orange. He reached up and pulled off his helmet, shaking his messy blond locks from his face. He chuckled at the sight of Fireteam Pluto before him. His smarmy smile shone even in his bright blue eyes. "Come on, let's see those pretty faces." He reached out and tapped Koru on the beak of his helmet, pushing his head down a little. "I like to know who I'm killing."

The other two members of this titan's team came forward now. The warlock, a female with a navy blue robe and crackling electric armband came to the titan's side, and he very easily wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. When she pulled her helmet off she revealed herself to be an Awoken-her skin glowed luminously blue and her eyes were a shocking shade of red. Her hair was inky black and styled into a mohawk.

The hunter of the trio slid in easily behind and just to the side of the titan. He was clad in crimson armor with thick shoulder pieces. He took his helmet off and revealed himself to be an exo, complete with a copper finish and pastel-pink optics. He nodded toward Pluto. "Your turn."

Fireteam Pluto shared a nervous look and shrugged almost in unison.

Phoenix took his helmet off and brushed his brown hair back with his hand, revealing his vibrant green eyes. He was clean shaven and couldn't seem to stop smiling.

Roy pulled his off and cracked his neck, stroking his beard. The top of his head was buzzed short.

Koru sighed and followed suit. His skin was a dusky, but still glowing, blue and his eyes were a fiery gold. His black hair was meticulously combed and straightened, parted to the right side.

"There." Koru rolled his eyes. "Are we satisfied now?"

"What's going on, anyway?" Phoenix asked.

Roy followed up with, "Are you the guys that called for firemen?"

"Is he all right?" The new titan asked, motioning to Roy.

Koru sighed. "Don't mind him, he's just… touched in the head by God, as they used to say."

"Right, right… hey, I know you." He jabbed Koru in the chest with his index finger, wormy lips squirming into a smile. "Yeah. You were the bro that got fired from the library, right? For fighting?" He laughed out loud. "What was your name again?"

Koru clenched his teeth and grabbed the titan's wrist, easing it away. "Who are you to ask?"

"Oh shit dude, my bad. Hey, my name's Roy. Leader of Fireteam Orcus." The orange titan held out his hand, which Koru hesitantly shook.

Commander Roy stiffened and looked over to the orange titan, his brown eyes meeting the other man's blues for an instant. "There can be only one." He muttered.

"Oh no, he's going full Highlander." Phoenix stepped back a few feet.

Koru looked over to him, "What's Highlander?" He asked. Then, finding no response from Phoenix beyond a lighthearted chuckle, he shrugged and turned his attention back to the new titan. "Well, uh, Roy. That's strange. I am Koru Sen." He stood up a little straighter and raised an eyebrow quizzically up to Roy.

"Well," Roy said, ignoring Roy's mutterings, "I know where I recognize you from. You took a titan up the butt in the library, but I know that name now. And you are a warlock. You must be Eve's new fling."

Silence overcame Koru for a moment.

"Hey," Phoenix piped up, "can we call you something other than Roy? That's gonna get really confusing really fast."

Roy scowled over to Phoenix. "It's my name."

Commander Roy's hands clenched into fists crackling with arc energy. "There can be only one."

"Yeah," Phoenix said, motioning to the purple-clad titan. "Except he's already Roy. Don't you have another name?"

The orange titan sighed. "Fine, if you must know, Roy is my middle name. You can call me Clarence, or Mr. Smallwood if you'd prefer."

"Clarence Roy Smallwood?" Phoenix asked, putting the pieces of the name together. "That's unfortunate."

"What do you mean her latest fling? How do you know her?" Koru asked, cold anger coating his every word.

Clarence scoffed and tossed his head back, looking to his teammates. "Pfft, what do you mean? Everyone knows how much she gets around. Especially around the Crucible. Hell, I had her a few times too." He grinned slyly and looked down to Koru, very aware of how much this was affecting the warlock. "See, your little girlfriend, Mr. Koru Sen," He poked the warlock in the chest again. "She's the Crucible's town bicycle. Everybody got a ride, or two, or a couple dozen in my case." He winked and patted Koru on the head.

The warlock clenched his jaw and very quietly let out a seething breath before speaking. "I'd suggest you stop talking."

Clarence went on, clearly hearing but choosing to ignore Koru. He looked to the Awoken woman at his hip and reached down to smack her rear. "Well, you know I have a thing for warlocks. I love grabbing them by the hips," He pulled on the woman from behind and mimed his words using her as a model. "Hiking up those frumpy dresses you guys all wear, and just plowing 'em into the dirt. Making 'em scream, beg for more," He leaned in toward Koru as he continued pelvic thrusting against the Awoken woman, who was more than happy to oblige him and giggle, and he continued. "I made her call me daddy, and she loved it when I put her in her place, the dumb slut. Oh man, even Klein here had a go with her." He motioned with his thumb toward the Exo hunter behind him. "And let's not forget those 'sword lessons' she gets from Shaxx, am I right, Arda?" This time he addressed the woman he was still dry-humping. She nodded agreeably.

Koru's jaw loosened up and he took a deep inhalation, clearing his mind for a brief second. He put his helmet back on and Phoenix quickly followed suit. Getting the message, the new guardians did the same. The warlock remained stark still, staring down the rival fireteam. After a long, tense moment that seemed to fill an eternity, he finally spoke. "Roy." He glanced to the violet titan, then pointed at Clarence in his bright orange armor. "Smashy smashy."

Commander Roy's stern frown curled into a menacing maniacal grin that spread from ear to ear. He laughed softly to himself as he pulled his helmet on and cracked his knuckles. "There can be only one." He repeated his mantra again, this time looking directly at Clarence.

 **III**

"Got your six," Phoenix said as he scanned the huge room. "And where the hell is Roy?"

Koru grimaced, watching the far end of the tubular main chamber, taking note of the stone disks' steady pace as they rotated around like ancient gears of the machine that was the planet itself. "No clue." He admitted.

After Lord Shaxx, the Crucible handler, had called the start of the match Commander Roy leapt at the other titan, Clarence, and veritably carried him off and out of the Burning Shrine before any members of fireteams Pluto and Orcus could react. When the hunters and warlocks of the teams split up to their respective starting points, they anxiously waited for their titans to return to no avail. The match had only just started and Roy's radio was silent.

Koru spotted movement across the chamber and looked through the scope of his Ice Breaker sniper rifle. On the far side of the room he saw the warlock of fireteam Orcus, Arda, slip behind the rotating stone half-disk and disappear from sight. "The warlock is on the move. Going toward the back."

Phoenix nodded. "We should move up, try to pincer them." He suggested.

"That would be infinitely easier with Roy here." Koru lamented, but lowered his weapon and started making his way across the room.

"Right." Phoenix agreed and followed Koru. He kept his head on a swivel looking for the enemy.

Koru jogged up to the stone stairs nearly completely eroded and buried in the ages' dust. He climbed them slowly, rifle raised at the ready. At their apex he took a sweeping glance around the room, actually more of a hallway. No threats.

"Where'd she go?" Phoenix asked. The hallway was relatively short. On the opposite end it seemed to empty into the central room of the complex. Halfway down it was another door-sized opening that led down a short hallway and up another short flight of stairs. "For a bunch of loud-mouths they sure are good at being sneaky." He frowned and kept his pistol, a silver weapon with a triangular barrel engraved with a hawk's feather, at the ready.

"Agreed." Koru admitted. "But if we can't find them," he trailed off and peered down the narrow hallway carved into the wall. It turned a sharp ninety-degree angle and then back again, forming an L-shaped passage.

"Then we bring them to us." Phoenix finished.

"My thoughts exactly. Why don't you check the other hall?" Koru nodded across the central room, past the glowing Vex construct mounted on a huge circular stone altar, to the hallway on the other side. "Looks symmetrical with this one. I'll give you cover." Across from the luminous battery was a huge outcropping of rock that served as a support pillar for the ceiling.

"Got it." Phoenix nodded and slunk away, ducking into the shadows of the support pillar.

Koru watched him for a moment before scanning the room from his vantage point, peering out from behind the corner. The room was fairly open and built as a square. He could see that the hallway they had passed earlier led up to a small bridge area that connected the two sides of the chamber, though the middle section of the walkway had long since fallen away.

When Phoenix reached the other hall and crept around to peer around the corner, he whispered. "Contact. Hunter. Going in."

He nodded once. "On it. Coming-" He was cut off by a flash of sudden movement in the corner of his eye. He turned and looked down the hall they had come from only to see the warlock of fireteam Orcus leveling her rifle at him.

"Klein?" The woman asked in a disarmingly thick valley girl accent, "I got the nerd over here."

Koru raised his rifle and took a shot at her that missed wide due to his haste. "Contact!" Koru called out for Phoenix. "Warlock!" He could hear the sound of battle from the other hall, however. There would be no backup.

The two warlocks exchanged bullets.

Koru fell back and took cover behind a partly demolished wall. He laid a fiery rune down between them, daring her to cross the line. "Arda." He tested her name on his lips. "You had so much promise. Why do you take orders from him?"

Arda pressed her back against the opposite side of the section of broken wall. "Well, like, he's just cool, you know?" Her voice was grating and high pitched, and it stung his ears to hear her speak. "And he fucks me so good, like oh my god!" Arda giggled, a manufactured sound, and continued. "I bet Eve misses him." She added the last part with a sly upward inflection.

He grimaced and clenched his jaw tight. "Bitch." He muttered only halfway under his breath.

"Excuse me?" Arda nearly squawked indignantly. She stood straight and felt the thunderstorm brewing between her fingertips as she summoned the electric energy of a tempest in a ball in her fist. She dashed to the side and tossed it past the corner where Koru still stood.

The crack of thunder boomed in the Burning Shrine and lightning shot out from the ground where the grenade landed, just behind him. Thinking quickly Koru pulled himself off the wall and sprinted around the corner, directly at Arda. The woman took a surprised step back and dropped her rifle, lifting up both hands to call forth a burst of electric blue arc energy directed at him. Koru grit his teeth and thrust a forceful palm-strike between her extended arms toward her face. He unleashed the fury of his fire from his outstretched hand and engulfed her entire helmet in a gout of flame even as she electrocuted him. The shock curled his muscles in on themselves in agonizing cramps and quickly drained his protective shield. His only solace was that Arda was screaming and backing away in pain and terror.

He managed to wrest control of his own body back from its series of spasms and seizures long enough to gather his senses. He watched Arda as she ran the way she had come and toward the center of the main chamber.

"She ran to the middle." Koru reported and groaned in pain. He shook his head rapidly a few times in an attempt to rid him of the tingling numbness. It almost worked.

/-/-/

"Got it." Phoenix responded with ease. He waved away the smoke in front of him with one of the shock swords he had taken from a Fallen vandal so long ago. "Hunter's going there too. Tried to get the jump on me. I stuck him good, though."

"Word on Roy?" Koru asked.

Phoenix stepped out into the main chamber, watching as the nearest stone half-disk spun around on its track, its open half beginning to rise up to the top of the room. "Nothing."

Koru was obviously annoyed. "Fine. We can still pincer them. On my mark rush in and finish the job."

The hunter nodded and readied himself, watching the disk rotate steadily, the sound of stone grinding against stone oddly soothing.

"Go!" Came the warlock's command.

Phoenix leapt up and activated his fiery wings, rising up into the air and brandishing his two shock swords. He flew up and over the turning disk and saw the enemy warlock and hunter huddled near the massive pillar in the center of the chamber. He saw Koru on the ground aiming his pistol at them.

Just as Phoenix crested the disk and alighted on its thick width, Arda let out a battle cry and let out a massive surge of electricity from her body, allowing it to cover her in a crackling shield that lifted her off the ground to hover. She turned toward Koru with a lightning storm wreathing her in righteous fury. Klein materialized a violet stream of light and formed it into a bow, pulling back a section of it in the middle as if nocking an arrow-and an arrow formed ready to be released. He aimed up at Phoenix.

Both Phoenix and Koru stopped for an instant, watching their enemies pull trump cards. Simultaneously they sighed in resignation, "Well fuck."

"THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!" Roy screamed from above-through the thick stone roof of the Burning Shrine. The warlocks and hunters all stopped to listen as the screaming grew closer, as if descending from the sky rapidly.

"I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! WHY?!" Came Clarence's desperate reply.

The ceiling above them cracked and a thunderous boom echoed through the chamber. In an instant it buckled beneath the force of the impact and the two titans fell into the arena. Commander Roy had Clarence by the throat and had a knee planted in his gut, and was completely wreathed by a maelstrom of crackling arc energy himself.

Clarence, for his part, was coated in flames as radiant as the sun itself and was slamming what looked like a short hammer into Roy's back in vain.

The two titans fell to the earth like a comet of storm and flame. Arda turned her attention to them and raised her arms, releasing the electric current in a stream of dazzling lightning. Klein wheeled around and took aim at them, and fired. His arrow soared through the air and hit Clarence square in the back. For the briefest of instants Klein saw the downfall of fireteam Orcus. Immediately the titan's glowing form guttered out, leaving him completely at Roy's mercy.

And then it was over.

Roy and Clarence hit the ground, sending a massive explosion of lightning reaching out with jagged fingers to sizzle the air itself. Arda and Klein were caught in the blast radius while Koru and Phoenix were blown back by the resulting sonicboom. Shards of rock that were once part of the ceiling were strewn about the room, and a massive cloud of dust was kicked up from the impact.

/-/-/

As the dust settled in silence Koru staggered to his feet, grunting with the effort and the nearly unbearable pain in his spine and ribcage, he waved the dust away and took in the scene. A huge gaping hole was struck into the ceiling with thick cracks emanating from the center of impact. All about the ground lay the strewn remains of the ceiling and pillar that once dominated the room. Near the center lay the members of Fireteam Orcus in grotesque, twisted and broken forms among one another. On the top of the pile of guardians was Commander Roy, lightly kicking Clarence in the side. The fallen guardian did not stir.

"Wow." Roy nodded in appreciation of his handiwork. "That that was pretty cool. I didn't think it would work."

Phoenix pulled himself out of the rubble and clapped a few times, slowly at first. "Holy shit, Roy, let us know when you're doing something crazy. You know, so we can film it."

Roy shrugged and produced a flask of alcohol, unscrewed it, and took a mighty swig.

All of a sudden Skye materialized in front of Phoenix, her green eye-like core glowing and flashing green quickly. _"Phoenix! Cayde is on the line!"_

Phoenix smiled and nodded eagerly. "Answer it, answer it!"

"Right." Koru said, pushing himself up against the wall and summoned his own Ghost, Dari who sported a yellow eye core and a pointed red chassis, to address his wounds. "Maybe he can give us some answers."

Skye's core rotated and flickered for a second then brought up a holographically displayed screen that glowed an ambient blue. Another second later an image of the vanguard office came into view, looking across the war table to the three guardians assembled before it, with Cayde, his cobalt metal robotic features seeming to beam with pride, in the center. On the left was Commander Zavala, leader of the titans whose stern face and blue skin were respectively complemented and contrasted by his bulky red and white body armor. On the right a dark-skinned woman in an ornate purple robe, Ikora Rey, the leader of the warlocks, stood in austere silence with her shaved head slightly bowed. Cayde waved and gave a chuckle.

"Well hey there, Fifi!" Cayde, simultaneously the hunter vanguard and the Speaker for the Traveler, was as chipper and upbeat as ever. "So you might have some questions."

"You got that right." Koru stretched out his muscles-he was always so sore after Ghost atomic reconstruction.

"Right, well let me explain you a thing and then there might be room for questions after storytime." Cayde coughed, a curiously human thing for an exo to do, before continuing.

Roy interrupted with a whisper as he slid in behind his teammates. "I love storytime."

"All right kids, so what you just engaged in was a little event they like to call the Trials of Osiris." He deepened his voice for the last few words. "It's a little live-fire combat exercise some crazy warlock made up after he was exiled. Anyway," He continued, relishing the role of teacher. "It's designed to test the strength of the guardians who participate. Oh and Fifi, don't you worry your pretty little head about getting footage, the Disciples of Osiris cut a deal with Shaxx to let him broadcast the event for the Last City. Everything's on tape, buckaroo." He winked and fired his finger guns at Phoenix, who eagerly returned fire with his own. "Did I miss anything?" He addressed Ikora and Zavala in turn.

The warlock vanguard spoke up, "We tried to stop him from entering your names into the tournament, but he already did it by the time we learned about it."

"Like always. Ask for forgiveness, not permission, isn't that how the saying goes, Ikora?" Cayde playfully punched her in the arm. She only sighed in response. "Anything to add, Zavala?"

Zavala looked up for the first time and spoke with a deep pitch. "Well done, Commander Roy." He offered the other titan a salute, which was readily returned.

"Thank you, sir." Roy nodded appreciatively.

"We won!" Phoenix smiled wider, "What do we win?"

"Hmm? Oh, well, you won one round." Cayde explained, holding up one hand with his index finger raised high.

"Excuse me?" Koru asked. "We killed three people," He motioned over to the dead guardians in the center of the room, whose Ghosts were hovering over them in the process of reconstructing them back to life. "And we have to do it again?"

"Eight times, actually." Cayde chuckled at the expressions on the young guardians' faces of shock, surprise and even fear. "Yeah, this is a test of teamwork, strength and endurance. And also intelligence, but only so warlocks have a reason to be there. But don't worry, I pulled on some pursestrings and got each of you a couple freebie rounds-provided you won the first bout, which I figured you could handle no problem. Six more to go for you, hop to it."

"Yes sir!" Phoenix gave Cayde a thumbs-up and then asked, "Do we know who our next opponents are?"

"Not exactly, but the way it's set up, you'll be going up against people with the same win-loss ratio as you, so these fights are gonna get tougher, Fifi. Stretch those hammies and make papa proud. Okay, bye guys!" He waved and the transmission wavered until the screen went blank, at which point Skye turned it off.

"So we need to beat six more fireteams?" Roy asked the two of them, "Well that should be easy."

"They won't all be pushovers like these clowns, though." Phoenix motioned to Fireteam Orcus, whose members were struggling to their feet and helping each other to stand. Klein gave Phoenix a dirty look and raised his middle finger to the other hunter.

Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Hey, keep walking before I sick my titan on you again!"

Roy snapped his attention to the other guardians as they nearly crawled out of the Burning Shrine. A low growl rose in his throat as if in ferocious challenge.

Koru sighed and rubbed his eyes and temples, all at once fatigued already. "Well, let's get on with it then."

"We kinda destroyed this place, though." Roy nodded as he looked around. Do all our fights take place here?"

A helmeted head popped out over the edge of the hole in the ceiling and waved down at them, silhouetted by the light of the sun. "You guys just go, we got this covered. It'll be good to go when you're back here."

"Aww, how nice." Roy smiled and patted his teammates on the shoulders. "Let's go, boys."


	3. Chapter Two: Saved In Fiery Trial

**Chapter Two: Saved in Fiery Trial**

"Well this is awkward." Phoenix muttered as he swept his hair from his forehead.

Koru stood stark still, staring transfixed at Eve across from him. She stood in the center of her fireteam, Hades, in her rose-red leather trenchcoat. Without her helmet on she revealed her tan skin, high cheekbones, bright emerald eyes, and full lips. Her hair was shoulder-length and chocolate brown with bangs. In the sunlight, raging so closeby, she seemed to glow.

Commander Roy laughed heartily and produced a flask to offer the ladies of Fireteam Hades. "Cheers guys, we didn't know you were gonna be here."

"Yeah," Phoenix said, taking the flask from Roy after all three members of the other trio refused the drink, "Koru said you guys were on the moon."

"We were." Ozara-4, the titan of Hades, was clad in heavy black body armor with pastel pink accents, her finish was a forest green and her sky blue optics glowed brightly as if to emulate her own admittedly chipper mood. "But we finished our task quickly. We had an opportunity to finish our last three matches today, and here we are." She beamed and swelled with pride.

"Only three?" Phoenix asked incredulously.

Lilei Nizo, the huntress of Hades, leaned against the large column jutting up from the sand and dirt, clearly bored. She wore light armor that shone gold, black pants, and easily a dozen knives on her person. The ensemble was brought together with her long and tattered white cloak flowing down her backside. Her skin was a luminous violet, her hair a deep navy blue cut short, and her eyes a bright silver. She offered only a glare as a response to Phoenix for his apparent ineptitude.

"Yes, three." Eve explained, glancing nervously to Koru, who had still not taken his gaze from her. "It's Sunday. The Trials were designed to pace guardians, why do you think it spans the entire weekend? Three matches per day." She frowned and looked each of the men up and down. On closer inspection, they were bedraggled and slouching the slightest bit. "Did you just go eight matches in a row?" She asked, obviously impressed.

Roy looked down to his hands and tried counting on his fingers. "One, two, forty-seven, six hundred and one, chocolate… Koru, help!" He looked over to the warlock in a panic. "What comes after chocolate?"

Koru's trance was at last broken at this sudden intrusion and he nearly jumped in surprise. "Ah, ah… uh. Right." He gave a withering look to Roy and then addressed Eve. "Six. Cayde said he pulled some strings."

"Ah." Eve said with a nod, visibly slightly less impressed. "I'm still surprised you guys did so well." She offered with a wan smile.

"Yeah." Lilei finally spoke up, her words cutting like razors. "Normally the Crucible eats you guys alive. Especially Phoenix and Eve's boyfriend." She landed her gaze on Koru, so cold and penetrating in its disregard for him.

"She's doing it again." Koru scoffed. Eve could only muster a shrug in response.

"Actually yeah we had a few problems. But there was one round where Roy just ran right over them."

"Literally." Roy confirmed, smiling wide.

Phoenix continued, "Oh and then I tripped over a wire. Weird thing, the entire team just kinda… disappeared when that happened." He shrugged and looked at each of the women in turn as if expecting an explanation. They looked even more befuddled than he did. "Since it was a win, I decided to try it again. Honestly that was how we won the last three rounds." He chuckled and shook his head.

"So you cheated?" Ozara asked bluntly.

Koru rolled his eyes and did his best to ignore Phoenix's half-baked excuses to the exo woman. He took a half step closer to Eve and cleared his throat quickly. "Eve-"

The sudden boom of the speaker system sending them Lord Shaxx's voice drowned him out.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FINAL MATCH OF THE TRIALS OF OSIRIS."

Koru tried to continue, "-I think we should talk."

"CRUCIBLE VETERANS FIRETEAM HADES FACE OFF AGAINST NEWCOMERS FIRETEAM PLUTO."

Eve tried to cup her ear toward Koru and nearly had to shout to be heard. "What?"

"THE MATCH WILL NOW BEGIN. GET OUT THERE AND FIGHT, GUARDIANS."

Roy remarked, "Huh. That's new."

"Well, best get to work." Lilei smirked and gave Koru a wicked glare and a suggestive wink.

"We'll talk after the match." Eve offered as she turned and ushered her team to their starting position. Koru watched her go for a moment before doing the same, heading off to the opposite end of the Burning Shrine with Phoenix and Roy.

 **II**

"Cover me." Phoenix whispered to Roy as he peeked around the corner, keeping his back to the wall. He had his silver pistol drawn, its elegant engraving gleaming in the artificial light of the Vex constructs. He slid out of cover and crept along the ground in a trench crawl, his head on a swivel for his opponents. The cable that had led to their previous victories stuck out from the central power battery in the back of the shrine. He sidled up next to the battery and crouched to better hide behind it. He reached around the corner of it blindly groping for the cable jutting from it near the floor.

Curiously, his hand found something hard, metal and smooth. He tilted his head slightly in confusion and continued searching for the cable, but the object was much longer than he had thought. He craned his neck up only to see the towering form of a guardian staring down at him. For a brief moment Phoenix saw his life flash before his eyes, but the other guardian only watched him silently. Clad in pale white and orange armor, with furred collar and pauldrons, and a visorless helmet with a single horn protruding from one side, Lord Shaxx looked every part the hardened warrior that his reputation suggested. Resting with its tip against the ground between his feet and his hands laid upon the pommel was his elegant sword-straight, thin, double-edged with a wide gilded crossguard. Even as Phoenix stared at the magnificent blade it appeared to be changing color ever so slowly.

Lord Shaxx stared down Phoenix without a word, the cable of the battery barred from being pulled by the tip of his sword.

Phoenix frowned. "Come on, man, don't you have anything better to do?"

"Not today." Shaxx replied, his voice was a calm and quiet tone now, so different from the voice he affected to announce the match. "Break my rules again and I will break you myself, child of prophecy or not." With that he resumed his stance looking straight ahead, taking the role of stoic protector to heart.

"Yes sir." Phoenix said meekly, nodded and slowly slid away from Shaxx back to the cover he had left in the hands of Commander Roy. Once safely behind the wall again, he allowed himself to exhale almost violently.

Roy whistled in surprise. "He's a quick one. So what now?"

Phoenix looked to Roy and shrugged. "I guess we just fight them. Let's radio Koru and see how he's doing." He glanced around the corner. Shaxx was still standing guard over the sanctity of his match, and Phoenix didn't notice anything else amiss-no movement, no noise. Roy looked out as well for good measure. Phoenix tapped the side of his helmet to speak over the team's radio channel. "Hey Koru, buddy, how's your countersniping going?"

Koru's response was incredibly clear. "That? Oh. Right. Well, she's an extraordinary shot, so I decided not to risk it. What are we looking at?" The warlock looked around the same corner from behind Roy and Phoenix. "Is that Shaxx?"

Phoenix stared dumbfounded at Koru, cradling his red and white Ice Breaker sniper rifle. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Roy turned around and nearly jumped back in surprise. "Whoa! Where'd you come from?"

"Do you mean we didn't have any lookout for our six?" Phoenix asked indignantly.

Koru just shrugged. "I suppose now our only recourse is to," He paused, thinking of the appropriate words, "Wing it."

"Well at least I understood some of that." Phoenix digressed with a sigh. "Aren't you supposed to be the tactics guy here? What kind of a plan is 'wing it'?"

"A fun one." Roy offered in answer. He lifted his own pistol, a gunmetal gray weapon with sweeping craftsmanship that ended in sinister points all over the thing. Its sights glowed with an ethereal green flame. "You hit 'em hard," He looked to Koru. "You hit 'em fast," He nodded to Phoenix. "And I'll make 'em bleed." He gazed almost lovingly at the weapon in his grip.

The members of Fireteam Pluto nodded and split their attention. Phoenix looked back to the central room. Koru surveyed their rear, taking a strategic spot behind a jutting section of the wall that offered cover and a vantage point. Commander Roy took point on the narrow hallway that turned and led up a few short steps and into the bridge area.

"Visuals?" Roy asked.

Koru saw the telltale glint of Lilei's sniper rifle for just an instant. "Positive. Sniper on our eight."

Phoenix heard the soft crunch of stone underfoot from across the room. He peered around the corner and watched Ozara's approach-she led with the broad side of a Cabal Phalanx's thick shield, nearly as tall as she was. "Got the titan coming up on our twelve. Up by Shaxx."

Koru outstretched his hand and traced a pattern in the air, drawing a fiery orange rune on the ground at the top of the stairs leading to their hallway. The lines quickly faded to glow a dull ember-orange, barely noticeable among the dust, debris, and general disarray of the floor. He took note that the huntress of Hades seemed to have disappeared.

Roy clenched his jaw and called out, "Incoming!"

And Hades converged on Pluto.

The world was awash with color, sound, and fury in that first instant.

A violet ball of light came sailing from the hallway Roy was guarding and fell at his feet, exploding out in a cluster of smaller violet cubes that bounced up at the titan and exploded in the air with a cacophony like shattering glass. Commander Roy danced backward and brought his arms up to cover his eyes from the blinding, burning flash. "Ah shit, warlock!" He yelled as he recovered his bearings.

From the main stairs that Koru was watching came another ball of light, this one a dazzling electric blue. It hit the ground once and skipped off the stone in a wide arc, splitting into seven smaller balls that proceeded to curve in the air around Koru's cover and swarm him. He batted at the things and hissed in pain as they pressed against his legs and torso and exploded in stinging electric agony. The shimmering translucent protective barrier around his body flickered and at last dissipated as the final ball found its mark on his chest. "Gah," He panted in pain while leaning against the wall for support. "Hunter's coming up." He looked to his teammates.

Phoenix watched as Ozara-4 dug her boots into the sand and rushed forward, propelling herself with powerful strides. In her left hand she easily hefted her massive shield and in her other a worn-looking shotgun.

Koru's eyes danced from point to point in the small area. To Roy falling back, his eyes on the hallway where Eve had thrown her grenade. To Phoenix, slinking back behind the wall and away from Ozara's approach. To the wide hallway that Lilei was no doubt approaching from. In a flash he felt a moment of tranquil calm and called out to his teammates. "Roy! Hold the line!"

"Got it." Was the commander's staunch reply as he leveled the barrel of his pistol down the hallway, searching for movement.

"Phoenix!" He yelled, looking to the hunter from across the way. "Switch with me. You know how hunters fight."

Phoenix nodded grimly and looked down the empty hallway.

This would have to work, Koru thought as he shifted his attention to Ozara. The exo titan was rushing forward at a steady pace, her shield bobbing up and down rhythmically ever so slightly with each step. He took a breath.

Koru Sen knew that running headfirst at a titan armed with a shotgun was a fool's task, but he had to try. He stowed his sniper rifle on his back and instead drew the silver pistol at his hip. He ran forward. Ozara's shield was too wide to be able to fire her shotgun around it effectively-he had seen her fight before-and knew that he had only a split second to make this work. He began twisting the fingers of his left hand through the air, letting sparks jump from his palm and sizzle away.

Just as the warlock was about to meet the business-end of the titan's heavy metal shield he dropped low and slid past her brutal swing. She caught herself before she over-extended but still took a second too long to register where he had gone. Koru quickly extended one hand out and flared his fingers to place a fiery orange rune on the inside of her shield. She turned to meet him and raised her shotgun to his face, and for the briefest of moments Koru could see in the abyss of its barrel his demise. Just before she pulled the trigger he thrust his free hand palm-out and felt the flames rush from his being and made manifest to lash and lick at her.

Ozara's weapon was batted aside and the rush of Koru's attack, like a solar wind, set her entire body ablaze for a breath before smoldering away, but not before stripping away her protective energy shield with an audible pop. However, just as his energized palm-thrust made contact he was repelled back forcefully by the sudden materialization of Ozara's force barrier that coated her bulky armor in pulsing indigo energy.

Koru stumbled back several steps until he managed to catch his footing, then watched as Ozara readjusted herself after his failed offensive. Just as she brought her shield up to bear again he clenched his hand into a fist and the explosive rune he had set on her shield exploded in a shower of flame and sparks that completely engulfed her as it ripped the shield from her grasp and sent it rocketing through the air, spinning like a hypersonic discus-directly at Shaxx, still standing guard at the mysterious cable outlet.

The guardians' fight ground to a screeching halt as they watched the Phalanx shield careen through the air. They each looked over to Shaxx with neck-snapping velocity.

Lord Shaxx calmly brought up his right arm and caught the shield with ease, stopping it with a resounding _CLANG_ that rang through the halls of the Burning Shrine. He turned to face the two guardians, his visorless helmet cocked to one side as if in adamant inquiry. He spoke as calmly as he had caught the flying chunk of spinning metal. "This is yours, isn't it, miss Ozara-4?"

Ozara stood straight at attention and nodded ever so slightly, the waver in her voice growing with each forced word. "Y-yes, Lord Shaxx." She managed.

Shaxx took a moment of thought, serving only to intensify the already harrowing situation. Ozara and Koru looked at each other, holding their breath. At last the Crucible handler nodded once and tossed the shield through the air to land unceremoniously at Ozara's boots. "Use of foreign weaponry is prohibited in my Crucible." He spoke simply, and added with what almost sounded like an apology: "You are disqualified."

"What?" Ozara stammered. "B-but, you never said anything before…"

Shaxx returned to his post and looked straight ahead, away from and past either guardian in front of him. "That might fly in exhibition matches or Saladin's Iron Banner, but I will not tolerate it in the Trials of Osiris. You are dismissed, Ozara."

She lowered her head and put her shotgun away, letting it clip onto the magnetic field on her armor's back. "W-what about my teammates, sir?" She looked up meekly.

"Only you are disqualified until further notice. I should not have to say it again, titan." His voice was stern, but held a hint of softness in its tone.

"Of course." Ozara said as she picked up her shield and walked away, hands up and palms out in a display of peace and surrender.

Koru stared, dumbfounded, as the titan woman walked away in defeat. He looked to Shaxx to Ozara and back again several times as he tried to wrap his mind around the events that had just occurred. "That was," He paused, looking for the right word, "Stupefying."

Shaxx sighed and looked to him. "Best get going, warlock. You're still in this."

/-/-/

Phoenix ran past Roy at his station by the doorway and held his pistol at the ready. His head on a swivel, he kept his eyes open for the huntress of Fireteam Hades in the huge stone chamber.

"Up here, idiot." He heard the demure, sultry voice of Lilei call out from above and behind him.

He wheeled around and looked up to see the huntress gazing down at him through the sights of her gray sniper rifle, its scope covered by a layer of forest-green netting. She knelt on a pillar fifteen feet above him and did not take the barrel of her weapon away from him.

"Oh, hi." Phoenix offered in a vain attempt at friendly conversation. "So now you're gonna blow my brains out, right?" He added with a chuckle.

"No." Lilei said simply, keeping her finger hovering dangerously close to the trigger still. "If I wanted to kill you I would. I'm the best shot in the Tower, after all." She added the last statement with a haughty laugh. "I was actually waiting for Koru. I mean." She paused, flustered, "I mean Eve's boyfriend."

"Oh." Phoenix said without noticing the glitch in her cold facade, and cocked his thumb back behind him. "He wanted to switch so he went to fight Ozara."

"Wonder how that's going." Lilei mused absently.

"Prob'ly shitty. So if you aren't gonna kill me, what are you gonna do?"

Lilei shrugged, her crosshairs had still not moved from Phoenix's green and black gasmask-style helmet. "Not sure. Oz is sure to kick his ass. I guess Eve is dealing with the drunk. Hm." She looked down to him, noticing he was now leveling his engraved pistol up at her and flames were rising from his shoulderblades. "I could kill you now and win this whole thing."

"Right, or," Phoenix offered, his voice still chipper. "Or, we could make this interesting."

"How so?" Her curiosity had been piqued.

"Well," Phoenix explained, breathing a sigh of relief that she had taken his bait, "Neither of us really care about this right?"

She nodded reluctantly.

"And neither of us want to die right now, right?"

"Right." She agreed.

"So let's make a bet."

"I'm listening." She allowed her sights to drop from him only when he lowered his own weapon.

"All right, so we don't fight. We listen in on our teammates, and whoever's team beats the other, the loser has to forfeit." He smiled, a wasted gesture behind his mask, and in general for the grim Lilei.

She thought for a moment but quickly assented. "Sure, sounds like an easy win for me."

"Right, right." Phoenix nodded as he flared the flaming wings from his back and rose up to join his fellow hunter on the large stone pillar overlooking the main tubular chamber of the Burning Shrine.

Lilei recoiled slightly and scooted away from Phoenix as he sat down next to her.

He looked over and tapped her on the upper arm lightly. "You want some pizza?"

/-/-/

¨Oz?" Eve whispered into her headset radio. Silence responded. ¨Ozara?" She repeated the titan's name with resounding urgency. She let out a breathy sigh. She tried again: "Lily? Do you read me?" Only silence responded. Eve knew all too well what was happening.

They were losing.

She clenched her jaw and seethed, her grip on her assault rifle, painted red with a bayonet attached on the underside of the barrel, grew tighter. She trotted over to the wide stairs that led into the huge main chamber, looking around furtively for any signs of her teammates. At a point, she realized, she would settle for a glimpse of her enemies.

Eve groaned and shook her head, turning around. The men of Fireteam Pluto had to be having trouble with her girls, even if it was two on three. That, or they had already won and were surrounding her. She rested her finger on the trigger of her rifle. Fine. She wouldn't be going down without a fight, and she knew if she played her cards right she could kill them all. Just had to pick her battles. She pondered a moment. Koru and Phoenix she would have to close in on to take out-the latter had those damned swords, though, but she was confident her training sessions with Shaxx would give her the edge. Roy was a force unto himself in close quarters, she'd have to stay back a ways to deal with him.

Caught up in her planning, or perhaps wishful thinking, Eve could not hear the guardian approaching her from behind.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. A voice speaking. She was almost comforted, but its pitch was deeper than either of her teammates', definitively masculine. She turned with a start and took a wild slash at him with the bayonet of her rifle.

Koru danced away from her attack and took several frantic steps back, his hands up in the air in a demonstration of peace. "Whoa, hey, calm down! Please!"

Eve scowled at him. "God damnit, Koru! You scared the shit out of me." She raised her rifle to his face.

Koru paused for a moment. "We need to talk." He said finally.

"What?"

"I said we need to talk." He repeated.

"Get your gun out." She commanded.

He tilted his head in confusion. "No?" He answered almost sheepishly in a question form.

"Get your gun out, Koru!" She yelled, pointing down to the pistol on his hip with the tip of her bayonet. "Now!"

"Why?" He asked.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No?" This time there was even less conviction in his voice.

"We're in the middle of a fight!" She bit back a harsh insult and took a deep breath.

"A fight? I was hoping it could just be a discussion to air our grievances and come to a reconciliation of sorts. An argument, maybe, at best." Koru explained, his hands still up in the air.

Eve groaned and walked forward, lowering her weapon. With her free hand she grabbed Koru's pistol and forced it into his grip, though he still refused to lower his arms. "There. Fine. Ugh. What do you want to talk about, Koru?" She asked him, too patronizingly.

Koru pretended he did not hear the obvious agitation in her voice. "I put two and two together, and I was thinking…" He paused, unsure how to put his discovery into words for his girlfriend-a discovery that affected her so. Affected them both.

"That's your problem, Koru." She took advantage of his momentary pause to interrupt him. "You're always thinking. Always looking at the big picture. You never just live in the god damn moment, Koru!" She yelled and prodded him with an accusatory finger in his chest. "That's why you suck at the Crucible. That's why you and your team will never be good enough."

He stood still, staring into her helmet's dark visor. He was dumbstruck and speechless.

"So go ahead. Tell me what you wanted to talk about so badly. Then I'll blow your brains out. Then I'll go and kill your friends." She sighed and looked to him, staring him down. "Go on." She urged him.

Koru swallowed hard and started to speak. "I was thinking. I found out about you and Roy." He said simply, hoping not to have to explain further, for his own sake.

"And?" She asked indignantly.

He shook his head once to dispel the flood of millions of individual thoughts arising to his mind at once as if his brain were boiling. "It's just-"

Roy cut in from his place in the narrow hallway that connected the two larger ones from across the chamber and interrupted Koru. "Hey, what are we fighting about?"

"Is that all?" Eve asked, obviously rhetorical. "That's what you're interrupting this match for? To bring up the past? God damnit, Koru, I'm gonna kill you now."

"Why?" He asked, immediately regretting the words.

"Because it's the Crucible! The Trials of Osiris! It's what we're supposed to do, fight and kill each other, and you're interrupting it for some petty problems we can solve later!" Eve roared at him in fury.

"Yeah!" Roy piped up, also yelling at Koru. "We're in the middle of a fight!"

"Thank you Roy!" Eve said as she raised her rifle again. With a sudden realization she nearly jumped back several feet. "Holy shit! Roy?" She backed up, her attention divided between the titan and warlock. "When did you get here?"

Roy shrugged. "Like three insults ago?"

"So," Koru looked to her, "Are we fighting still? Because I believe there are still some unresolved issues on the table."

"Yeah okay, fuck this." Roy muttered as he clenched his fist, charged it with arc energy, and sent a swift electric punch directly into Eve's throat. The warlock woman's neck cracked violently and just before she was sent flying through the air, it seemed to explode in a violent spray of viscera. Her body was sent through the air to land in a crumpled heap in the corner.

Koru watched in horror as his girlfriend's lifeless corpse came to rest against the cold stone wall. He started to stumble toward her. "Eve?" He asked, knowing there would be no response.

The booming voice of Lord Shaxx came on over the speakers a moment later. He commanded his usual authority, this time tinged with a hint of regret. "FIRETEAM PLUTO HAS TRIUMPHED IN THE TRIALS OF OSIRIS." He announced. "THE DISCIPLES OF OSIRIS HAVE REQUESTED AN AUDIENCE WITH THEM POSTHASTE."

Commander Roy stood tall and grabbed Koru by the scruff of his neck, nearly dragging the smaller man out of the hallway and down the stairs toward the main entrance of the Burning Shrine. "Come on buddy, we won. Time for our victory lap."

"Eve?" Koru called out again, quieter this time. There was no response.

 **III**

All through the flight to the other side of Mercury and their march through the work camp of the Disciples of Osiris Koru remained silent and only begrudgingly joined his comrades. The camp was curiously abandoned except for their guide, who wore bright yellow hooded robes with stylized black eyes emblazoned upon the hood, shoulders, and chest. He introduced himself as Brother Ahmad.

"Assalamualaikum." He said pleasantly as the team descended from their ships.

Koru and Phoenix gave a confused shrug to each other, but Roy greeted the man happily. "Mualaikumsalam."

Brother Ahmad's bright yellow eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised to have received a proper response. His skin was a dark brown beneath his hood, and he sported a neatly trimmed goatee on his lean face. "Well," He said with an obvious smile behind his words, "The Disciples of Osiris are pleased to welcome and congratulate you on your victories, Fireteam Pluto."

Koru crossed his arms and grimaced, following as Ahmad led them through the complex of abandoned Vex tunnels that was laden with various stations-research, development, study, sleep, repair, food-their modest scientific camp had all the amenities to be expected of such an endeavor.

"Okay," Phoenix started, sidling up next to Brother Ahmad as he walked, Ahmad's hands clasped in front of him within his billowing yellow sleeves, "Cayde said there would be prizes when we won."

"In due time." Ahmad responded with purposeful crypticism.

"But when?" Phoenix asked impatiently.

"Soon enough." the monk was beginning to grow audibly irritated.

"But that's not soon enough!" Phoenix exclaimed, but nonetheless fell back in line with Koru and Roy as they followed Ahmad through the winding camp, kicking up sand and dust with every footfall. At last Phoenix looked to Koru, "So what's going on, anyway?"

Koru shrugged. "I don't know." He answered quickly.

"Wow, you don't know something? That's weird." Roy looked around at the high walls that formed an artificial canyon, protection from the sun's harmful solar wind and harsh, oppressive heat.

Brother Ahmad called back to them. "The Disciples of Osiris followed the titular warlock after his exile from the Tower many years ago. We dedicate our lives to the study of the Light, and of the Dark." He led the way up a long set of stone steps. "Osiris is said to be gone along with many of his original followers. We maintain a presence here, on Mercury, where he studied the Vex in great detail. We are not so powerful as we used to be, though recently we have reinstated Osiris's Trials, a unique challenge for champions of the Light, such as yourselves, to test the strength of the Light as a whole. It has grown exceptionally stronger recently."

"Why?" Phoenix asked.

"That may have something to do with you, actually." Ahmad continued, "We have seen that you are not typical of the guardian ranks. You possess not a specialized form of Light but one of general, and dare I say, pure form. You use the sun itself as if it were naturally born to you, and can use pure light as a weapon. Fascinating."

"Yeah I already knew that. Cayde explained it all to me." Phoenix waved his hand nonchalantly. "I'm supposed to save the world from the Darkness, all that."

Ahmad chuckled as he reached the top of the stairs at last. "Indeed you shall." He added incredulously.

The top of the stairs emptied into a circular room with a relatively low ceiling. Directly ahead lay a stone path that led to a circular dais upon which a large table sat with a single wooden chest underneath. To either side of the pathway were deep trenches carved directly into the rock. Ahead, the thin window-like opening extended all across the rest of the enormous building and offered a majestic view of the burning sun to gaze out upon.

Standing in front of the table with their back to the stairs was another individual in bright yellow robes. At Ahmad's approach she turned around and offered a bow to the guardians. "Assalamualaikum." She smiled. Her skin was pale and her cheeks flushed. Her eyes glowed the same bright yellow as Ahmad's under her thick hood.

Roy responded automatically: "Mualaikumsalam." He nodded toward her slightly.

Koru tried to sound out the response he had only heard twice now. "Moo-lay-kum...sull-ahm. Like alms?" He asked absently. It took him several tries before he felt comfortable putting it all together.

Phoenix, however, simply went right into it. "Me licka salami." He smiled wide and brushed the hair out of his eyes.

Brother Ahmad and the new woman looked at each other. Ahmad whispered, "They're trying, at least."

"Right." The woman gave a resigned shrug and a playful smile. "I am Sister Asha. I've been eagerly spectating the Trials this week, and am proud to say I have picked out your boons appropriately. Here," She gestured to the table behind her and the three wooden boxes upon it. "One for each of you."

Sister Asha and Brother Ahmad took their places side by side on the other side of the table. Asha led the guardians to their prizes, starting from the left box and moving down. "For Commander Roy, the titan who rushes headfirst into battle, a new helmet!" She grinned wide as she watched him flip open the lid of the box.

Roy picked up the helmet and inspected it. It had a silver base and a large golden visor. Two huge cracks emanated from the crown of the head near the temples. "It's broken." he said simply, looking to Asha. "Can I get a new one?"

Asha frowned and shook her head. "No, it's not broken. Try it on, you'll see." She dismissed him and moved down the line to the box in the center, pushing it toward Koru. "For Koru Sen, the warlock who wields the sun in his hands, a new pair of gloves!"

Koru opened the box and looked down at the contents without picking them up. A pair of gray metal bands connected by a wire. "This is it?"

Asha sighed. "You'll have to put them on first to get the idea." Still not dissuaded, she moved on to the final box, which Phoenix had already grabbed and was eagerly waiting for his cue to open it. "And for Phoenix, the hunter who flies close to the sun, a new breastplate!" Asha giddily smiled up at him.

Phoenix opened up the box and held up his new armor, tossing the box aside unceremoniously. It was angular and painted black. On its back near the shoulderblades were protrusions of metal with slits cut into them, as if made to accommodate his fiery wings. "Cool!" Phoenix smiled and looked to Asha and Ahmad. "Were these specially made?"

The pair offered only a smile and a nod in response, looking to each other and beaming with pride.

"Guys." Roy said, stumbling around and looking about in all directions as he situated the new helmet on his head. The cracks in the temples flared to life and spewed out continuous, luminous azure flames. "I can see everything. The universe is one with me." He stood up and reached out to grab at the air. "Get back here, universe!"

Koru nodded in appreciation as he clasped the fasteners on his wrists and forearms of his new bracers. They flared to life and glowed a brilliant orange-yellow like the sun along the length of his forearm, but did not burn him. "Very interesting." He smiled slightly and examined his new prize more closely.

Phoenix slid into his new breastplate and activated his fiery wings, and they sprouted from his back through the slits effortlessly. With barely a thought he was able to bend and contort them as he pleased. "Oh, like a rudder or somethin'." He looked to his teammates. "Shit's cool huh?"

"Ah," Ahmad interrupted their appreciation, "There is one more thing. As a show of congratulations for besting your peers in the Trials, it is customary to also bestow upon you weapons." He bent down to the chest beneath the table and produced three arm-length hammers engraved with the Eye of Osiris on their heads, one at a time. "One for each of you, of course."

"Oh, sweet!" Phoenix said, grabbing one of the hammers. It was heavier than he had anticipated, but he quickly adjusted and gave it a few test swings.

Koru eyed the hammer in front of him suspiciously and grabbed it, finding its hefty weight rather unagreeable. He managed to pull it off the table, and though he kept his grip on it, it fell to the ground with a _THUD_ and he struggled to lift it up.

"Come on brah." Roy looked down at Koru and shook his head. He shooed the warlock aside and picked up the hammer from the ground easily, hefting its weight with casualness. Then he grabbed the one left on the table with his off hand and swung them both together a few times for practice. "Hey, think I could chain these together?" He asked Ahmad.

"Uhm, excuse me?" the monk asked, taken aback.

"Yeah, like right here." Roy tapped the bottom of the hammers' handles together. "Chain them together, make nunchuks out of them." He paused as if in realization. "Hammerchuks!" He added gleefully.

"Well, they're not supposed to be… They're more ceremonial, you see…" Ahmad tried to explain.

"I think it could work." Phoenix said. "Maybe add a third one. What do they call those big ones with three sticks, Koru?"

"Sanbu?" The warlock offered.

"Yeah those things." Phoenix continued, completely disregarding the self-doubt in Koru's answer. "That would be fucking sweet."

"Look," Ahmad said, "They're just supposed to be wallhangers. They're really weak metal-"

"I bet I could kill so many Kells with these hammerchuk sand-bun things." Roy beamed with pride. "The universe is gonna be my bitch!"

Ahmad and Asha looked to each other in utter confusion. At last Ahmad spoke up. "Gentlemen, if you'd be so kind as to take your leave, now."

"Huh?" Phoenix asked. "But we just got here."

"Yeah." Roy added, "We're your guests."

"I am interested in learning more about the Vex that Osiris was researching here." Koru said.

Ahmad pinched the bridge of his nose. "You got your prizes, we've shown you the place, you have everything we had to give you. And… and that information is off limits to you." He sighed in exasperation.

"But come on-"

"What about some food-"

"Why is it-"

"LEAVE!" Ahmad nearly shouted at them.


	4. Ch 3: Perilous Times and Perilous Men

**Chapter Three: Perilous Times and Perilous Men**

Night had fallen and the vanguard offices were emptying for the evening. Normally the vanguard would disperse, lock the doors, and leave the hardworking frame units at their station until sunrise.

Tonight, however, Ikora gave the order to completely empty the office and shut down surveillance systems. The frames agreed readily and in monotonous, harmonious consent: "Understood."

Ikora Rey and Commander Zavala watched the frames, thin robots used for labor and drudgery, march out of the room single file. They shared a nervous look, and Ikora leaned against the edge of the war table in the center of the office, watching down the now empty hallway for their third, and last, member to join them.

"He said he'd be here." She clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth in aggravation.

Zavala nodded and stood tall next to her, his eyes dancing across the room. It was the only sign of his anxiety. "He has his business to attend to, just as we do." He huffed out a breath of air through his nose and looked up to the ceiling. "Full blackout." He commanded. "Nothing in, nothing out. One hour." The monitoring systems of the office, hidden expertly from view, whirred in assent and powered down. It never hurt to be careful.

At last they saw Cayde-6, hunter vanguard and Speaker of the Traveler, descending down the stairs into the hallway that led to the vanguard office. His head was cocked to one side slightly and he appeared to be talking to someone, with one hand up where his ear should be.

"Uh huh." He nodded and continued forward at his meandering pace, giving a wave to the other two vanguards as he approached. "Uh huh. And the money is in my account?" He paused and stopped at the other side of the doorway into the office, looking down the handful of stairs to his comrades even as he continued his conversation. "Okay, perfect. It was good doing business with you." He clicked the call off and stood up straighter to address them, "All right, let's get this started. Zavala, get the door, please." He pressed his palms together and gave the order with a smile-or as close as his robotic features would get to one.

"You're closer to it." Ikora responded, crossing her arms and smirking.

Cayde rolled his bright cyan optics. "Ikora, do we have to do this every time? Should we put it to a vote? Who's in favor of Zavala closing the door?" He raised his own hand up. "And who's in favor of me doing it?" He lowered his hand but the other two vanguard raised theirs. "Ah, okay. So since I have two votes, being a vanguard _and_ the Speaker, this is a tie. Hmm, and Ikora, remind me who has the tiebreaking vote in these matters?" He paused only long enough for her to start talking before he cut her off again. "That's right, the Speaker! So, Zavala. Close the door." He cocked his thumb behind him toward the open barn doors of the office as he made his way down the stairs.

Ikora furrowed her brow. "The Third Council Amendment states very clearly that the Speaker only has a tiebreaking vote if he has not yet cast one. By no means is a member of the council meant to have two votes." She scowled at him and threw an arm out to stop Zavala from complying with the order. "Paragraph seven, subsection two. In fact, given that clause, I'm not certain you should even be allowed to hold two offices. You would know that if you did your homework."

Cayde stopped halfway down the stairs and visibly deflated at her retort. "Fine, I'll close the damn door." He climbed the stairs backwards and turned around at the top, setting about his task. He called back over his shoulder as he did, "So what's our status, team?"

Zavala gave Ikora an appreciative nod as he started, his voice deep and commanding. "I have foundries under guard and working around the clock to produce weapons. It is slow, however, because they can barely keep up with Tower demands under normal circumstances. Guardians are notorious for their disregard for less than optimal weaponry, and any recycling efforts have been met with general disdain. They would rather harvest high-quality weaponry for parts than give them to a citizen." He shook his head slightly. "That being said, we have seen a two per cent increase in firearm ownership and I have it on good authority that the local militias are seeing more recruits. The problem is, they don't know why because we won't-"

"Can't." Ikora corrected him.

"-tell them." The titan vanguard finished.

"Hmm." Cayde locked the door and turned around again, descending the stairs once more with his impressive ego restored already. "Only two per cent?"

Ikora added, "With a population as large as the City's, it comes out to an impressive number."

"And how about that wall?" Cayde walked past them and gazed out the huge back window of the office. Here they towered above the City as the last bastion of defense against the darkness. Out there the mountains rolled on, unimpeded by the affairs of humans, aliens, or gods. It was a misty night below the dark clouds. Shadows bathed the rocky landscape out past the wall they were so precariously betting everything on.

"The walls are being fortified against attack as best they can." Zavala admitted.

"Doesn't exactly inspire confidence." Cayde replied.

"Cayde," Zavala approached and stood next to the hunter vanguard, looking out at the mountainscape, "Between the constant rounds on the walls, the tireless scouring of the steppes, and the constant strong-arming of weapons and armor manufacturers, I can't also put my Engineer Corps on backbreaking labor duty. My titans are stretched thin enough as it is, and with their orders and the rumors from the City…" He trailed off.

"You said it yourself, Zavala. Judas is a threat to the City and we need to do everything we can to stop him. So that's what you're doing, isn't it?" Cayde grimaced and ran his metallic fingertips over the charred mask of the previous Speaker that hung on his belt.

"But _you_ said that it needed to be kept a secret. We can't raise a panic. No one can know." Zavala clenched his hands into fists. "It's on your orders we're running ourselves ragged, and because of it we won't be able to keep this a secret for very long."

Ikora joined them on the other side of Cayde. "My warlocks are putting in sleepless nights in the library and with the Engineer Corps to develop more advanced defense systems. But they're still people, Cayde. They need to sleep, to eat. To live."

"I know that." Cayde relented softly, staring down through the glass floor to the ground below. The faint edges of the massive wall could be seen. "I sent recon teams to swim through the drainage and sewer systems all over Old Russia. Nothing. We all have agents running around looking for anything weird. But we also have to let a lot of them live, go about their normal lives. If we use everyone, we'd accomplish even less. Trust me, Ikora. I get it." He took a step forward and placed his hand on the cold glass, looking out past his own reflection to the world beyond. "Judas is out there somewhere. He's building an army and we don't even know where. It's only been a few weeks, but he's had so much longer to plan this."

Ikora reached out and placed a reassuring and firm hand on the exo man's shoulder. "I know. How are your preparations going?"

Cayde's mood shifted quickly, but he held a hint of sadness and frustration in his words still. "Pretty great, all things considered. Phoenix and his boys really ran the gamut in the Trials." He turned to face his comrades and again slipped between them to return to the war table. "We definitely won on that one. I think they're ready."

"Ready?" Ikora asked incredulously.

"Ready." Cayde agreed. "Of course, it was a team effort."

Zavala veritably stomped down the stairs. "What did you do?"

"Me? Not a thing. Well, a few things. I may have pulled a few strings and cashed in a few favors." Cayde responded. "But you gotta believe me, they're good. See, I needed them to fight other guardians because, well, you know, Judas is a guardian, so I made sure they could pull the trigger."

"What are these strings and favors, Cayde?" Ikora's eyes narrowed and she stared him down with brewing storms behind her words.

"Just got them a few freebie wins, nothing an experienced Trials-goer couldn't do."

"And?"

"And got Arcite to rework the bracket. Wanted to see how they'd do if they were…" He searched for the right words, "Emotionally invested as well as physically challenged."

"And?" Ikora asked again, clearly not enthused. She watched as Zavala came around to Cayde's other side, blocking an easy exit.

Cayde shrugged. "I got Shaxx to look the other way for a while. And when he couldn't do that anymore, you know, to protect his precious 'femme fatale protegés', it still worked out."

"I can't believe this." Zavala nearly roared. "You rigged the Trials of Osiris!"

"Rigged is such a strong word." Cayde stepped aside and away from the titan, and sauntered over to the stairs to take a seat. "Look, those kids are special, both in a 'Mommy loves you' way and a… a 'touched in the head by God' way, all right? I made sure they had good match-ups, but it was never anything they could walk all over, outrageous light levels or not. And," He chuckled and shook his head as he looked down to the ground. "Phoenix pulling the plug on the other team, I never saw that one coming."

"Why did you do it?" Ikora asked calmly. "Do you realize the embarrassment you've caused the other contestants?"

Cayde looked her square in the eye. "The same reasons I do everything I do, Ikora. I wanted to boost their confidence. Now they have shiny new toys and they think they can take on the Darkness all on their own. That Koru kid might have a rough night after that final round, but come on, guys. They just won the toughest challenge known to guardians and let me tell you, confidence is half the battle. If they have to go up against Judas, they'll have the juice to do it." He ended his reasoning solemnly.

Zavala sighed and held his face in his hands. "Lord Shaxx will-"

"Lord Shaxx can't touch us." Cayde explained. "Let's just say I recently returned some compromising evidence to him that gave me a pass. Just this once, but it was worth it."

"What's the other half of the battle to you, then?" Ikora inquired further.

"Hmm?" Cayde leaned back. "The other half is making lots and lots of money." His metallic features could not contort into a smile, but his cockiness and the evident pleasure in his voice told the other two vanguard that if he could manage a grin, it would a shit-eating one. At his allies' appalled stares, he only shrugged. "Hey, what can I say, I'm a bettin' man. After my stint in this stuffy office is over, I'm thinking of retiring. I hear Brazil is nice."

"You're insufferable." Ikora admonished. She turned and looked over the war map, currently displaying the north Asian steppes of Old Russia and Old Mongolia.

"You just don't know how to snatch a good opportunity." Cayde gave a flippant wave of his hand. "Anyway, how's your other project coming? Any progress?"

She nodded and did not look over to him. Through a seething breath, she spoke. "Yes. The Hive language is guttural and almost completely alien to us, and nothing on our research into them suggests they even _have_ a verbal language. However-"

Ikora was cut off by a sudden clatter from the far side of the room. All three vanguards looked over in sudden surprise as the locked barn doors shook and were then wrenched open and shoved apart by a lone figure. It looked to be a warlock in dingy brown and black robes, female, with three glowing green eyes like a Hive acolyte's covered by a thin veneer of cloth. Her voice boomed, dreadful and grave.

"Did she really just break our door?" Cayde asked rhetorically.

She chuckled, a horrifically macabre sound from low in her throat. "I have crawled through the underbelly of the Hellmouth searching for escape. The Hives' magical locks became an everyday obstacle. A simple human device is nothing to me."

Zavala stood tall and addressed the new woman. "Eris, have you had any luck figuring out what Judas said?"

Eris Morn strode forward, keeping her shoulders forward and her hands cradling a bright, almost sickly, green glowing orb close to her chest. She stopped at the far end of the war table, on the opposite side of Cayde, who had quickly risen to his feet and whose hand hovered over the pistol at his hip out of instinct.

" Yes. The Hive have a language, but it is one of terrible and inhuman sounds! And at Ikora's request I have translated this... " She paused, her lower lip quivering. She raised her head up slightly and gasped nearly inaudibly. Her eyes never closed or even blinked, and from her eye sockets streamed black tears that fell in a never-ending river down her pallid, pale, sickly green skin. "...Judas. I have translated Judas's speech to his horrid legion!" She settled back into her normal posture and tone, still as constrained as ever.

Cayde gave Ikora a disdainful look. "Uhh, really? Her? She's the best you could do?"

Ikora shrugged. "She was the only expert we had."

"Couldn't get someone a little more sane?" Cayde continued.

Eris Morn looked over to Cayde and slid past Ikora like a viper through the underbrush. Her long fingers reached out to him and gripped him on the sides of the head and she pulled his face in close to hers, staring into his optics with her replacement eyes and speaking in a tone just above a whisper. "I am more sane now than I was before I made that descent. I can see so much more clearly."

Cayde took a seething breath and grabbed Eris by the wrists, violently wrenching her away from his face and nearly shoving her back. "Ah, ah, no touchy." He took a step back and wiped his hands on his cloak absently as she recoiled, staring him down like a wounded animal. He continued, "Just tell us what he said, and then leave. And go far away from me."

Eris let out another low laugh. "Of course… Judas, a warlock, like you." She turned to Ikora. "He was your student, correct?"

"My star pupil." Ikora agreed with a bittersweet tone.

"Then this," Eris paced about the room, "Will be hard to hear. Judas… He wants to destroy you."

"Well that was obvious." Cayde rolled his optics. "Ikora, can your 'specialist' tell us something we don't know?"

"Not kill!" Eris hissed. "Destroy. It means something different for the Hive. So many things do. He wishes to rend you molecule by molecule. Swallowed by the Darkness. Never to rise again, as the guardians are so wont to do. His orders to them were nothing more than a warning and a promise. A warning of your power… but a promise of his. They challenged him to a duel to prove his claim, and he won. But he is not strong enough yet. Not to command a true army. Only a splinter in the chitin."

Cayde looked down to his wrist as if checking the time. "Can we wrap this up soon, please?"

Eris continued, pretending not to have heard him. "He promised to gather all the splinters. All the chipped chitin, and from it craft a new blade. A sword he would use to cleave… you. He said the guardian kings, but he meant the vanguard. I could hear the pain in his voice. The Hive have no concept of vanguard. They know of kings, but not of vanguards."

Ikora nodded. "And did he say anything about his next move?"

"Only that he would seek power with the Vex." Eris gave the message ominously. "The Vex in their stronghold. The source-a source-of their power."

The vanguard each shared a worried look at that revelation.

"That could be anywhere." Zavala frowned. "The Nexus Mind. The Black Garden." His bright blue eyes widened and his jaw went slack as if he had found a deep secret of the universe in an obvious location. "The Vault of Glass." He whispered softly, almost to himself.

Eris only shook her head. "Your young warlocks were spotted before he could tell them where they were to go. And none of the legion live to interrogate for information, either, thanks to the guardians and the Eliksni."

Cayde gave the warlock and titan vanguard a moment to stew on this information. After a moment of tense silence he walked across the room and up the stairs near the entrance, his footfalls soft and measured.

"Cayde? Where are you going?" Zavala called out to him.

"I need some air." Cayde responded simply, and without a further word he rushed up the stairs, leaving the three others behind him in the office to plan, to talk, to figure things out. That was never his style. While they pontificated and worked out their problems, he would go to work. He would _act_. It was all he was cut out for.

He emerged out into the cold night of the Tower's empty plaza. Shops were closed up. Wind howled all around and whistled through the eaves of the building's wings. Out below them the majestic Last City lived on, pulsing and moving with life and light even as the sun set. Hovering above it the cracked and broken Traveler waited in cold silence. He scoffed. It had never spoken, he knew.

He paused to look out over the city. Gathering his resolve, he pulled up the tattered brown hood of his cloak a little further, lamenting that his protruding horn stopped it from covering more of his cobalt metal face. With a nod he turned and made his way to the elevators. He would go down to the City and seek the answers he needed.

 **II**

"Idiot." Koru stated blandly, rocking back on his feet and taking a seething breath, his eyes locked in place ahead at the wall. A dull thud sounded through the bar as his forehead made contact with it again.

"Hey Koru-" Phoenix called out to him.

"Stupid." Thud.

"Koru?" Phoenix fully turned in his stool to watch the warlock's rhythmic head-smacking against the wall. He took a sip of his beer.

"Dumbass." Thud.

"Hey," Phoenix calmly slid off his barstool and approached Koru slowly, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him away from the wall before he could hit it with his face again. The hunter turned the warlock around and steadied him with a hand on each shoulder-he still held his beer in his right hand, however. "Whoa, whoa, are you daft? It was kinda funny for the first five minutes," He looked about their usual bar under the hangar with his bright green eyes, spying a few other patrons entering from the corner of his gaze. "But now it's sad and people are starting to stare. Pull yourself together, man!"

Koru looked to Phoenix with a dry, apathetic gaze. His mouth hung open slightly in a frown, his hair was unkempt and a bruise spread across his forehead, swelling rapidly. "What's the point?" He asked groggily. "I ruined it with Eve. How could I be so stupid?"

Phoenix rolled his eyes and shook Koru hard by the shoulders. "Come on, man. So what? It shouldn't be that bad. Besides, you'll find someone new if it is. Someone better."

The warlock frowned. "There's no one better than Eve."

"I don't know, man. She's a bit of a weirdo." Phoenix shrugged. "But then again, so are you, it should be fine." He tried to smile and pat Koru on the shoulder.

Commander Roy emerged from the bathroom and confidently strode over to the wall Koru was slumped against. He smiled and eased himself uncomfortably close to his teammates, looking down at them. "Hey, what's up?"

Phoenix gestured to Koru with frustration. "He's just sitting here beating himself up about the Eve thing."

Roy tilted his head. "Why? I was the one who killed her."

Koru sighed. He looked up to Roy with fire behind his dry eyes. "That is precisely the point. You," He jabbed Roy in the chest with an accusatory finger. "You interrupted us! I was making a breakthrough."

Roy raised an eyebrow and brushed Koru's finger away gently. "Brah you were making a mistake. It's okay though, I think you'll be fine."

"Why is that?" The warlock asked indignantly.

"Well," Roy patted Koru on the head, tousling his hair slightly, "Girls like it when you show dominance. Gets 'em real weak for ya."

Phoenix chimed in, "But weren't you the one who shoved your fist in her throat?"

The titan laughed. "Ha! Yeah, that's true. But it's fine. Not the biggest thing she's had down there." He gave a wink and a nudge, which the hunter, thankfully, did not return.

"You are not helping." Koru lowered his head and held his face in his hands. The fighting was over. He wanted to scream. He wanted to fight more. It was easier.

Phoenix was about to retort when a sudden frustrated whisper from the hallway caught his ear.

"Son of a… why? Why is this a thing?" The voice was familiar.

Phoenix grabbed Koru by the shoulder and dragged him along across the bar's length and out toward the door that led to the steel and concrete hallway at the bottom of the stairs. Commander Roy followed after grabbing a drink from the bar.

Fireteam Pluto emerged into the hallway only to see Cayde-6 wedged between several huge steel crates marked with the Dead Orbit sigil stacked haphazardly in the back nook of the hallway. Like a deer frozen in the headlights he stopped his squirming and stared at them for a moment of awkward silence. After a breath he resumed his vain attempt to snake his way behind the boxes. He let out a sigh of resignation. "Well, damn. How are you kids doing tonight?"

Phoenix and Koru watched Cayde with dumbfounded stares while Roy took a mighty swig of beer from his pint glass. It was the titan who responded. "Celebrating. You should join us! You gotta tell us a story."

"Yeah!" Phoenix added, "You always tell the best stories, Cayde. Got any about love and romance or whatever? It's for Koru."

Cayde's optics shifted from Phoenix over to Koru. He made a _tsk-tsk_ noise under his breath and his gaze softened. "Wow kid, you don't look so good. Hey, look at this way, you're guaranteed to find someone better than her after this. You guys are like celebrities!"

"There's no one better…" Koru repeated.

"Celebrities?" Phoenix asked. "Uhh, no one knows who we are here. I mean, they kinda do at this bar because we go here all the time, but like, not as celebrities."

"You guys hang around the wrong crowd, that's all." Cayde shimmied his way deeper into the crevice between crates, his hand blindly reaching to feel, banging against the other boxes deeper in the nook. "In the crucible scene you guys are on fire. Now…" He paused for a second and at last stopped his awkward shuffling into the corner. "Hey, warlock guy, Koru. You'll either work it out or find someone new. Trust me. Someone better." He lowered his head and spoke directly at the warlock, "Someone who, you know, eats meat and actually drinks beer. Someone fun."

Koru scowled. "She is fun, she just-"

He was cut off by Cayde. "Hey, mind giving me a hand? I need to get out of these boxes, it's not working out. Can you boys be lambs and help papa Cayde through?"

Roy looked over to Phoenix. "I don't think Zavala would want me to take this mission."

Phoenix looked to the titan with a frown. "But it's Cayde, he's the hunter vanguard. He's giving us a mission."

"Yes," Cayde agreed, still stuck between the boxes. "A very important mission."

Koru added, not without palpable cynicism, "Aren't you the same rank as Zavala, anyway?"

Roy crossed his arms and sipped his beer as if in thought. "Hmm."

"Phoenix, a hand?" Cayde whispered, looking down to his hip suggestively.

"Uhh…" Phoenix responded with confusion.

"The mask, man." Cayde rolled his optics and turned his head a little farther, looking out directly over his right shoulder now.

"Oh, right!" Phoenix perked up and grabbed the old Speaker's mask from Cayde's belt, holding it up against the exo man's face. It was an ill fit and it bumped up against his protruding horn, but Cayde worked with it.

His voice muffled behind the mask, he cleared his throat and affected a more jovial tone. "Commander Roy, my boy!"

Roy perked up and immediately stood at attention. "Yes sir, Mr. Speaker sir!"

Cayde continued, "I need you to move these boxes out of the way. That's an official mission!"

"I got it, sir!" Roy nodded and shoved his pint glass into Koru's hand. "Hold my beer." With that he almost ran forward to attend his new task. Crates and boxes were shoved aside and Cayde, still with the Speaker's white mask pressed against his face, was freed within a few moments.

Cayde snatched the mask from Phoenix's grasp but still held it against his face. "Very good, Roy. You always were one of my favorite titans."

Roy beamed with pride. "What else do you need, Mr. Speaker? How long were you stuck there, are you thirsty? Do you need a drink?" He produced a flask from seemingly nowhere. "I think this one is whiskey." He held it out to Cayde, who simply shook his head.

"Uh, no thank you. But if you could be a lamb and ah, move those boxes aside. There is something at the back of the hall I need. Right down the middle there." He pointed to the center of the back wall and then down to the area that was covered by the many, many crates of Dead Orbit.

Roy nodded. Just as he was about to withdraw the flask, Koru reached out and snatched it, unscrewing the lid and taking an impressive gulp of the fiery alcohol.

The titan set about to his task while Cayde, Phoenix, and Koru continued to talk. Cayde walked over and grabbed Koru by the shoulder, pulling him in close. "Kid, don't worry about it. If it works out, awesome! No relationship is perfect. You're gonna fight. Not get along. Hell, you may even kill each other a few times. But," He tapped Koru's chest with his finger. "It's all about how you feel here at the end of the day. Not," He trailed the finger up to tap the warlock on the temple, "Not how you feel up here. So let me ask you, my boy, do you love her?"

Koru took a moment to respond. He took a deep breath and considered the advice Cayde had just given him. His mind was racing a thousand and a half times again with thoughts of doubts and fears. If, however, he let himself breathe and let go of those thoughts for even a moment, his heart spoke. It was faint, suppressed, but inconceivably true in its feeling even if it could not be articulated into comprehensive language. At long last he responded. "Yes."

"Great!" Cayde patted Koru's shoulder reassuringly. "Show her. Love is a weird, squishy thing. It just needs some attention to get a little less gross." He laughed then, a warm and happy sound. "You got this, kid."

"Done!" Roy called out happily. The three other guardians looked to see the scattered and haphazard crates were now neatly stacked in two columns pushed against either wall, leaving a perfectly straight alley between them through the center of the hall, leading to a small black square just barely big enough to let a person stand inside it on the ground.

"Very good Roy!" Cayde congratulated the titan with his fake Speaker voice. "I'll put in a good word to Zavala on your behalf!"

"Thank you sir!" Roy smiled and grabbed the beer from Koru's hand. He took a gulp and burped loudly.

Cayde strode forward and crouched down in front of the square, grabbing something on it and pulling up hard, revealing it to be a trapdoor. It squealed and whined on old hinges but it eventually gave way and swung fully open. He looked up to Fireteam Pluto.

"Cayde, what is that?" Phoenix asked.

"Oh, just a little nook I use to get down to the City. The elevators are a little too heavily guarded to just waltz on out as a vanguard, or God forbid, the Speaker. The guards would demand I have an armed escort or some other nonsense. I swear, they increase security detail every year." He muttered and cocked his head slightly to the side. "Oh, and when I close this thing, can you guys, uh, you know, cover it back up again?" He gestured to the neatly stacked boxes. "You ever play Jenga?"

"Jeng-what?" Roy asked. He looked to Koru for help, but the warlock only shrugged.

Phoenix nodded. "Got it." He gave Cayde a thumbs-up and then made his fingers into fake guns to fire at him.

The vanguard returned the gesture and dropped down into the blackness of the underbelly of the Tower's hangar. After a second he reached up and closed the trapdoor behind him.

A moment passed. Phoenix turned to Roy, "Hey Roy, I think the Darkness is trying to use these boxes to hold itself up."

Koru opened his mouth to protest. "But he just-" Phoenix kicked him in the shin to shut him up. The warlock relented, shrugged, and took another deep drink from Roy's whiskey flask.

"Oh no! Don't worry!" Roy rushed forward and shoved the stacks of crates down onto the ground, once more in a scattered pile. A few broke, spilling more styrofoam packing peanuts than actual goods onto the ground. "There. I saved us."

Koru sighed. "I am surrounded by idiots."

"Hey, you guys breaking shit again?" Came a familiar, and not wholly welcome, voice from the stairs. Lilei Nizo almost laughed but managed to stop herself.

Fireteam Hades descended the steel stairway in a line, with Lilei leading the group, Eve just behind, and Ozara bringing up the rear. None of them looked particularly excited to see the men of Pluto loitering in the hallway to the hangar bar.

"No, it was a mission." Roy announced.

"Very important." Phoenix agreed amicably.

"Utterly critical." Koru added with a cynical eye roll.

"Right." Lilei frowned and looked to Phoenix. "It wasn't part of the deal, but I think you idiots owe us a drink for what you did today."

"What did we do?" Phoenix asked with genuine concern as he imagined their already impressive bar tab racking up more debt.

The huntress sighed and walked into the bar, dragging Phoenix by the arm beside her. Roy and Ozara followed in due absent-mindedness and due diligence respectively. Koru and Eve were left in the hall alone.

"So," Koru started. He stood up a little straighter and looked her in the eye, though she seemed unable to return the gesture for more than a few seconds at a time.

"Yeah?" Eve responded with an unusual softness in her voice. She visibly shook, just once, a single spasm from the crown of her head to her knees, as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"Don't you think we should talk?" He asked.

The rhythmic, droning beat of the bar's club music nearly made the floor outside bounce with hypnotic reverberations. He took a step closer, then another. Soon he was face to face with her, pressing his sore and swollen forehead to her own unmarked one. His golden eyes gazed deep into her emeralds. He took in her slender, curved nose, her full pink lips, her sunkissed tan skin. By the Traveler, he thought, there was no way he could stay mad at her.

"Well? Shouldn't we-" He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off with a kiss before he could finish. He pulled back slightly and gave her a quizzical look, one eyebrow raised. "Uh, what?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in again, pulling him close and pressing her back against the wall. This time she buried her face in the crook of his neck to kiss and bite softly. She whispered, "Later. I promise. But right now I need you." She pulled away to look to him again, gently brushing a strand of his raven-black hair from his brow. "My place?"

He nodded, holding back a gasp and shutting his mouth, which had been agape in surprise since her affectionate attack began. "Yes." He said simply. "Let's go."

Eve nearly leapt out from underneath him and grabbed his hand, veritably dragging him up the stairs on the way to the elevators.


	5. Chapter Four: The Wicked Man

**Chapter Four: The Wicked Man**

"Crazy kids." Cayde-6 chuckled to himself as he wound his way around a series of thick pipes wet with condensation in the dark between floors of the Tower. He took careful steps among the chugging machinery in the nooks and crannies of the crawlspace, wiping the thick dust from his optics.

It had been too long since he had taken this route. Proved first and foremost, of course, by the accumulation of dust and detritus littering the ground. Not to mention the blockage topside that he had only managed to get past with the help of a few generous patsies like Fireteam Pluto. Nevertheless he couldn't deny how good it felt to be striking out on his own again after so long cooped up with the other vanguards. They were good people, he knew, just not _his_ people.

He sighed as he came to the end of the passage beneath the floors. He pressed his gloved metal palms against the cold steel panel in front of him, testing it with a few light pushes before he shoved it open, forcing its rusting hinges and sending a single screeching whine echoing through the passage behind him. The panel swung open and he at last stepped into a small square room with pockmarked sheets of metal covering the walls and only giving a suggestion of hiding the many cables and pipes that lined them. On the far side of the room was a thick hatch secured tightly.

Cayde-6's boots clanked softly beneath him as the steam from a newly ruptured pipe whistled its soft song through a hairline crack from below. He thought he heard a strange electric crackle and an accompanying hum from above him. He took the locking bar on the hatch in hand and lifted up and pulled out to unlock it. He pushed it open gingerly and it swung wide with the sudden intrusion of intense wind flooding the once-still air of the small room. Cayde held his ground and waited for the gust to pass before walking forward. He stopped in the doorway and admired the sight of the City beneath the clouds. Outside the opening a series of ladder rungs with a semicircular safety cage around them were bolted directly into the wall and led down a ways before hitting a landing and continuing on in droning madness all the way down. Well, almost all the way down, he reminded himself. "Poor kids." He shook his head.

He took in the view for another second before appraising his gear. He patted the knives hidden in his sleeves, the pistol on his hip, and most importantly, the magnetic grappling cables coiled into compartments on his belt. As always, he backed up to get a running start, and after a split-second sprint he leapt from the open hatch and into the sky, arms spread wide as he twisted midair into a proper dive.

Cayde watched as the City's pavement rushed closer to him with each passing instant, tasted the velocity of his descent upon nonexistent-or perhaps hyper-realized-tastebuds. The wind whistled. He fell through the clouds that hung lazily in the night. The amber lights of the street lamps and fluorescent glow of late-night office workers glinted and sparkled beautifully. He relished these moments. He was able to live, to be human, without all the pesky limitations. He almost laughed. No rushing wind could get caught in his lungs, no dust or agitation could reduce him to tears. In these moments, he mused, it was so much better to be made of metal.

With a swift motion he reached down, unhooked his grappling cable, found the weighted end, and threw it across the way. It found its mark and wrapped around a support pillar of the Tower. He held tight and he was jerked down hard when it caught his weight. He swung out toward the city, released the magnetic charge on the cable, and dropped again as it was swiftly recalled back to the coil on his belt. He reached for the one on his left side and repeated the process, this time latching the end onto the facade of a skyscraper and using his momentum to careen around it.

He kept going, swinging through the business and entertainment districts of the City with grace and ease with his magnetic grappling hooks. The wind rushed by and his velocity slowed with each successively lower swing.

Cayde eyed his destination, a rooftop that was low enough to drop down into the streets, just on the edge of the clustered business district. He kicked his legs out and leapt high into the air directly above it. He fell through the air down toward it until both of his grappling coils had sufficiently recoiled themselves, then shot both of them out to latch onto neighboring buildings. He pulled them each taut and used the sudden change in momentum to stop his fall completely. In the darkening night he hung over the rooftops suspended between two wires like a spider. He eased them loose in his grips and let them gingerly carry him to the roof, landing lightly on the squat brick building and straightening his cloak out.

"Well," He looked down to the alley below, easily a thirty foot drop, and vaulted over the edge of the roof without a second thought, landing in the alley and rolling with his shoulder to spread out the impact. He looked around, his cyan optics taking in the sights. Broken chainlink fences, dirty brick facades that might have once been red. Cracked and worn down pavement. Deep puddles of standing water. "That was fun."

He hummed to himself as he strode down the alley and toward the street. After that show, he knew that what he was looking for was sure to find him.

The hunter vanguard wove his way down the increasingly labyrinthian streets and alleys toward the edges of the City, away from the prying eyes of the Tower and separated by the inner walls from the posh upper class districts. With each passing block the buildings grew squatter, longer, and more weather-worn. A few were boarded up, but curious eyes followed him from behind the barriers. Despite the ominous appearance of the place, however, it was bustling with human activity even as the day gave way to night. Men and women rushed by on their way home carrying bundles of food for their supper, children played and watched in awe as he strode past.

Cayde's optics scanned the crowds and the buildings. The stares were normal this far out from the Tower. He gave friendly waves to the children brave enough to maintain eye contact with him. Not only was he a guardian, already a rare sight in the slums, but he was an exo. His kind were a rare breed, all almost exclusively guardians and most destined to never step foot in the darkest parts of humanity's last bastion.

A glint of light on a tiny object from a buzzing street lamp caught his attention. He glanced to it, but it was gone by the time he looked its way. "Hmm." He kept on down the road, one hand on his hip. "Looks like I'm on the right track."

He felt a slight tug on his tattered brown cloak and turned on his heel swiftly, nearly reaching for his pistol in its holster at his left hip before he saw a small child, a girl, grabbing at his cloak with dirty hands. She let out a surprised yelp when he turned around and seemed to tower over her.

He cocked his head to the side slightly. The girl did not move, likely frozen in fear. She was pale, thin, with her brown hair cut short and her big brown eyes wide with fright. She couldn't have been more than ten years old. Without a pause he dropped down to one knee to look her in the eye, his hands resting upon his knee. The streets were emptying now as people found their way to the safety of their homes. Nonetheless, a sizable enough crowd had gathered around to watch this strange interaction.

The girl tried to speak, but found the words difficult to find. Cayde looked over her shoulder to see a group of other children, girls and boys alike, huddled and watching more fervently than the others.

"Uhh, uhm, m-mister robot guardian," She stammered, clasping her hands in front of her chest nervously. Her clothes were old and tattered, her pants may well have been more patches than their original material, but they were not incredibly dirty.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Cayde asked softly, paying no mind at all to the milling crowd around them.

She seemed to gather her courage, or perhaps reacted well to his courtesy. "Uh, mister robot guardian, sir." She stood a little straighter and tried to smile, showing off a gap tooth and a prominent underbite. She paused again, this time as if wondering how to continue.

Cayde chuckled and took the time to speak, "Please, mister robot guardian was my father. Just call me uncle Cayde. I promise I won't bite."

The girl nodded. "We was wondering," She looked to her friends over her shoulder, "If you're a robot guy, do you get cold?"

He took a moment to process the question. "Well, I suppose you could say that." He looked up toward the Tower. From here it could only barely be seen rising above a wall in the distance. "It gets real cold up where I live, so everyone wears a lot of layers." He looked back to her and held out his hand as if in greeting. She took it after a moment. "And even through my gloves you can tell I'm a little chilly. See, us robot guys," He said with the inflection of a smirk, "We're made of metal, so we're always cold." He tapped his forehead with his knuckles to produce a satisfying clanking sound.

"But do you ever feel cold?" She asked, and reached out to touch his forehead.

"Every day." Cayde answered simply.

"Oh." She pulled her hand away. "Mister Cayde, do you like being a guardian?"

"Most days."

"What about the bad days?"

Now the group of children had inched up closer to hear the conversation. He looked around, noting the few adults milling about only vaguely watching them from the corners of their eyes. They must have been the parents.

"On the bad days I just have to remind myself that tomorrow could be a good day."

"Do you get to kill a lot of aliens?"

He mused. "Not much anymore. See, I got roped into a desk job for a while. But when I was out doing missions, yeah. I killed a lot of bad guys."

"Oh." She nodded.

"Hey," He straightened his spine a little. "You never introduced yourself, young lady." He took on a sassy tone of voice, "Isn't that rude?"

"Oh! Sorry mister uncle Cayde! I'm Grit!" She smiled wide again.

"Grit, huh?" He was clearly amused. "That's not a very common name, I don't think."

"It's short for Margaret. But I don't like being called Maggie or Marge." She explained with all the confidence and surety a ten year old girl could muster.

"Now it all makes sense. Nice to meet you, Grit. Ha." He shook his head slightly. He took a glance up to the buildings around them. Most were lucky to have a proper second floor. He caught a glimpse of a small metal object that seemed to slide just out of view on a roof when he spotted it.

"Margaret!" A woman called out from a doorway the next house down. "Margaret, get in! It's dark!" She had the same pale skin and brown hair as Margaret, but a different nose-bigger and more hooked. Cayde figured she was the girl's mother.

All of a sudden the group of children scattered like leaves in all directions, scurrying through the alleys and roads to return to their homes, some escorted by their parents, as if suddenly reminded of their own curfews. Soon it was only the two of them left in the street, Cayde still bent on one knee.

Grit gave a glance to her mother and waved slightly. Then she turned back to Cayde, "I have to go now."

"Me too." Cayde agreed.

"One more question." She crossed her arms in front of her now. "Okay?"

Cayde laughed and pointed at her with his fingers made into a fake gun. "Shoot."

"Do you think I could be a guardian like you?" Grit kept her smile a little more contained now, only barely curling her lips.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. No one's a guardian like me." He reached out and tousled her hair. "But work hard, kid, and you could be a guardian like you some day." His words were warm, kind, and hopeful. But he dreaded the thought of her becoming a guardian. It was, after all, necessitated by death.

"Margaret! Leave the man alone! He's busy!" The woman had stepped out of the house and was watching the two of them from the street now. The amber lights of the street lamps flicked on slowly, one by one down the line. A few here and there refused to light at all.

"Well, you gotta get." Cayde looked over to Grit's mother and offered a wave. Then he reached into a pouch on his belt and produced a coin from it, old and tarnished with age. He held it out to Grit to see both sides, which each sported the same stamped portrait of a long forgotten and nearly unrecognizable woman, before pressing it into her palm. "Take it, one of my lucky coins. If you ever need to make a tough decision, or really need to win a bet, flip it. Oh, and don't spend it anywhere. It's, you know, not legal tender anymore."

Grit grinned and clutched the coin close to her, nearly shaking with glee as she nodded fervently. "Yeah, mister uncle Cayde! Thank you!"

Cayde rose up to stand and patted her on the head softly. "Of course, sweetheart." Then he lightly took her by the shoulders and turned her around, ushering her toward her waiting mother. "And don't lose it!"

"I won't!" The girl nearly ran back to her mother and darted in the house, no doubt to hide away her new gift. Cayde watched her go for a moment.

"Kids, right?" He asked rhetorically, but her mother had already followed into the house, and Cayde was left alone on the street. Well, he amended, mostly alone. He turned around to continue down the road again.

A man leaned against the wooden wall of the next house, bathed in the darkness of the night and of the alley he was tucked into. His voice was chipper, tinted with the slightest unplaceable accent. "Always were a sucker for the tykes, weren'tcha?"

Cayde pressed his back to the other wall that comprised the corner of the building, looking out to the street in its near silent amber glow. "You know, I'd rephrase that to sound less creepy."

"You caused a stir." The man continued, not caring to dignify Cayde's response with any measure of attention at all. "Almost like you wanted to be found."

"That's how your kind works." Cayde huffed. "I could scour the City up and down and never find you guys. But I make show, swing around and draw a crowd, and all of a sudden you're coming to me. It's a surprisingly effective method."

"Don't get smart. Whatcha want?" The man was growing agitated.

Cayde rolled his optics. "I need to see your boss."

The man straightened up and took a step back into the alley. "What about?"

"Gehenna." Cayde responded simply.

"She don't like getting business calls off the street."

Cayde slid around the corner and stared the man down. He was several inches shorter, with unkempt black hair and beady eyes, a scraggly beard and wore a shabby, ill-fitted suit. Cayde recognized him after a moment of furious recollection as the informant he had met last time, Ezekiel. "Look, Zeke, I need to see the Black Dragon immediately, on the authority of the Tower. So, we can do it the easy way or the hard way." He took a step closer, arms crossed. "Either you can take me to her, or we can see who can break more bones in each others' bodies." Another step brought him face to face with the man. "And I bet you I'm gonna win that one, Zeke."

Zeke, for his part, did not back down from the challenging gaze. At last he relented. "She's expectin' ya, anyway. Come on."

"That's more like it." Cayde nodded in appreciation and followed Zeke down the alleyway into the shadows.

/-/-/

"Through here." Zeke whispered. The walk had been relatively short, but confusingly winding through the already haphazardly arranged shanty town homes. He led the way through a worm-eaten wooden fence and to a decrepit two-story home in the middle of a cluster of similarly seemingly abandoned houses. He stopped on the porch and waited for the hunter to follow.

"So this is where you're holed up now?" Cayde mused, wincing at every strained creak of rotting wood underneath. "How quaint."

"Gotta move around to keep alive." Zeke shrugged and knocked on the front door with a series of raps that sounded suspiciously like a code. Flakes of pale green paint fell to the ground in front of it. After a moment the door swung open. Inside was pitch black. Zeke did not move from his position on the porch, and seemed to refuse to look inside the house. "All right, there ya go." He said simply as he hastily descended the front stairs and wound his way through the neighborhood. Cayde did not waste time watching him leave.

Cayde stared into the empty, abysmal house for a moment, and it seemed to stare back. He took a tentative step inside, grabbing onto the doorframe with his right hand as he did. The first footfall was ominously silent, but he chalked it up to his nervousness. He scanned the room, but not a single shape of either furniture or architecture could be made out. He took another step.

"Flower, a little light?" He muttered as he stood stark still in the entrance to the house, listening intently for any sounds out of the ordinary.

His ghost, a plain cloud-gray one with a pastel pink eye core, materialized in front of him and appeared to look around in the dark. It let out a decidedly artificial whistle in surprise. " _What did you get yourself into?_ " Its voice was a deep baritone.

"Business." Cayde answered shortly, then looked to his ghost. It was the only thing in the cloying shadows that was emanating any light, in a faint glow for now, at all. "Now get on it."

" _I have a bad feeling about this._ " Flower responded, but nonetheless its core flared up and sent piercing light through the dark, pulling its gray chassis tight around its core to focus the light into a beam.

"No one asked you, anyway." When Cayde reached out and grabbed the ghost it made no objections and allowed him to use it as a flashlight.

At last the grasp of blackness loosened on the room. It was devoid of any and all furniture after all, though it did sport a single moth-eaten rug in the center of the living room floor. He shone the ghost's light around the room to gain his bearings. To the left was the living room, beyond it was what looked to be a kitchen separated only by a halfway-collapsed wall. To the right was a short hallway with a series of doors leading to what Cayde could only assume were bathrooms and closets. Directly ahead of him was a steep, narrow staircase that rose up further into the darkness. He gingerly stepped forward and ascended a single step, testing his weight on it before giving it any modicum of trust to do its job. Satisfied, he began his steady climb to the second floor.

It was eerily similar to his first meeting with the enigmatic Black Dragon a year ago. The same crushing weight of shadows and silence that only seemed to increase in pressure as one delved deeper into the place had not diminished.

"I have been waiting for you." A voice called softly, feminine and seductively penetrating. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. In front of him, whispered in his ear, from the next room, and from across time and space all at once.

He shuddered.

"What have you come for tonight, Cayde?" She asked, this time from a more focused direction-just ahead of him and to the left. He shone his ghost's light toward it and down a decrepit hallway. He could almost feel fingertips tracing a line along his metal jaw.

This hallway was short and lacked any features beyond the flaking paint, warped floors and bowing ceiling that the rest of the house sported. At the end of it was a single door that was left ajar and slightly skewed on loose hinges. He strode forward, keeping his free hand on the wall, as if touching it would somehow offer him protection, or at the very least, peace of mind.

He pushed the door open fully and stepped inside. The light caught thousands of gleaming metal pieces like the steel scales of a mighty beast when he shone it upon them, sending glinting refractions scattered about the room, thus illuminating even more of the things. Each wall, the ceiling and floor of this room was covered in the metallic scales, and they seemed to move and undulate as if alive. He lifted his boot and looked down, appalled to see more of them moving underfoot to fill the gap. He stepped down again and thought he might crush them, but the carpet of scales was stronger than he might have thought.

"Are you frightened?" She asked, concern rising in her voice. "I could dismiss them, if you would prefer."

Cayde took a moment to regain his composure, lifted his other foot, and allowed the moving-or living?-things to scurry into place. "Oh, no. This is just new, that's all."

"It has been some time." She agreed. "Shine your light here."

This time he felt a definitive presence brush against his metal cheek, gently turning his head to the right. He did as he was bade and pointed his ghost to the center of the room. The form of a human woman, slender and sitting cross-legged on the floor, was made apparent. She was dressed casually in a white shirt and loose brown pants, and she was barefoot. Her skin was light like alabaster, her long hair a bright orange-red like fire that hung down over her shoulders, and her eyes a shining blue, barely visible as she squinted at the sudden intrusion of the ghost's beam upon her face. She wore a thin black metal band around her head that rose up in ten points like a crown.

Cayde stepped forward and pointed the ghost's light away from her face, instead sending it up toward the ceiling to illuminate the entire room, albeit weakly. He studied her features as she adjusted to the dim light. The surroundings were different, but she was the same person he had met before. This was the Black Dragon, indeed.

The scales lining the room gently undulated in constant motion as if agitated and restless, but did not move from their places. It unnerved him.

"What do you seek?" She asked him as he first took a knee, and then sat down cross-legged across from her. "Perhaps to join me in mediation?" She asked almost hopefully.

He waited a palpable moment as he straightened his cloak around him. "Gehenna." He said finally.

"Old business? I had such high expectations for you." She twisted her thin lips into a frown. "I digress. We can discuss them."

"I want them back." Cayde locked eyes with her, but found it taxing to maintain eye contact and instead opted to shut his optics between those moments. "I need them back."

"They are currently away on an errand for me. Why is it you are so desperate for them?" The Black Dragon asked with genuine curiosity.

He forced his voice to remain steady. "As much as I would like to think otherwise, I know that you know."

"Ah."

He opened his optics again. She had not lost her look of general disdain. "Say it."

"Judas." She responded immediately. "He has returned and you see no other recourse than Gehenna." She shifted her weight on the floor, sitting up straighter and resting her hands on her knees. "A sentimental, even romantic notion, to be sure. But I cannot rightfully renege on an agreement we have made."

"Then we can make a new agreement." Cayde suggested almost too quickly.

"I am listening."

"Both sides of the last one get tossed out."

"Intriguing." Her lips twitched upward ever so subtly.

"With this new one, I get back my hunters." He sighed and tapped his right index finger upon his knee in thought.

She nodded once. "They will be yours if you can offer acceptable terms to me."

He shook his head and looked back to her. "Your entire operation, how big do you think it is?"

"A strange question."

"Answer it."

She raised up an eyebrow in surprise, but indulged him nonetheless. "Much of the City."

"But not all?"

"No, not all. The investigations have made growth slow."

"And nothing off-world since our last meeting?" He lowered his head again, waiting for her response.

"I am a woman of my word."

He nodded. "Give me back my hunters, and you can resume your off-world correspondence. And I'll get the Vanguard investigations into your operation called off."

She let his offer hang as she seemed to ponder its ramifications. "A bold offer."

"Would you have settled for any less?"

"Possibly." She shrugged, "But we will not know. I accept your terms, Cayde-6." She reached out with her right hand and took his when he returned the gesture. She shook firmly once and released him from her surprisingly strong grip.

"Now, where are they?" Cayde asked.

"I will have them report to you in the Tower as soon as they return from their task."

"No, no, no." Cayde shook his head and raised his hands up. "I can't have them anywhere near the Tower. I'll go and pick them up myself. Where are they?"

The Black Dragon frowned again. "I see. You can find them in Old Accra."

"Hmm." Cayde took a moment to think. "Digging up Golden Age secrets?"

"Wresting it from undesirable hands, more like. I will send word and they will patiently await your arrival." She smirked again. "You are quite welcome, Cayde-6."

Cayde nodded and rose to his feet, bringing his ghost and its light with him. He nodded down to the Black Dragon. "Thank you." He turned and walked away, leaving her sitting on the floor, meditating in the dark among her living room of metal scales.

As the hunter vanguard and Speaker of the Traveler descended the staircase he could feel the intense pressure tightening around his chest and weighing on his shoulders progressively lift and ease his mind with each successive step away from the Black Dragon. He nearly rushed out into the open air of the City's poor districts. He looked up to the night sky and the full moon glowing bright white far above the Tower and the broken Traveler, all so refreshingly bright.

" _What now?_ " His ghost, Flower, asked him from inside his head.

"Simple." He responded out loud. "We get the band back together."

 **II**

He shook off the cold chill of the midnight wind and stepped inside the dilapidated wooden house bathed in darkness. He paused only long enough to straighten his long black coat's collar and to pull off his helmet, rounded and painted black with a V-shaped opaque black visor. He did not bother looking about the room. His destination was upstairs.

The stairs creaked under his weight as he ascended swiftly. The world was black all around him but he could see perfectly through the alien transplant he had given himself. He reached the top of the old staircase and turned to the right down a short hallway.

"Another lost sheep?" A feminine voice, cool and distant, seemed to echo throughout the entire house, from in front and behind him simultaneously.

He remained silent and stood in front of the bedroom door that was left ajar.

"Or perhaps a misguided shepherd?" This time the words seemed to dig into his mind from every direction, but it was not painful. A blatant and unwanted intrusion, he thought, but not wholly unpleasant. He shuddered. "Enter."

He pushed open the door and stepped into the room without any hesitation or second thoughts. Every single surface in the barren room was coated in softly undulating metal scales no longer than a finger. They seemed to all still at his entrance and press themselves flatter against the wall. He looked to the center of the room to see a slender human woman sitting cross legged on the low, bowing ceiling. She opened her eyes and seemed to be able to see him perfectly well even in the suffocating darkness. She spoke, now abandoning the grandeur of psychic invasion and opting for the more mundane form of vocalization.

"You are the second man to seek me out this night. Perhaps a turning point is in order for your kind?" She smirked, though the angle made it look like a frown to his eyes. The upside-down woman remained perfectly still upon the ceiling and only her hair showed the effects of gravity by hanging down low in flowing tresses.

He took a moment to understand the circumstances he had found himself in. "Perhaps you need to invest in better lackeys." He spoke at last, his voice gravelly and coarse.

He stared down the woman and recalled the journey that had brought him here. With his helmet on, no one thought twice about a guardian coming through the wall. Wearing all black, no one had seen him slipping through the shadows. And when he had finally cornered the man in the ill-fitted suit and forced him to reveal this place to him, no one in the slums had even bothered to look their way, even when the man screamed in pain and clutched his broken arm.

The woman cocked her head to the side. "Perhaps, indeed. Ezekiel is far from the most prudent of my agents, and he may yet see a swift removal from my ranks. I take it, however, that you are not here to discuss the inadequacies of my organization. What do you seek, Judas-33?"

"Hmph." Judas pondered for a moment. He had been asked that question twice now, and yet he still lacked an adequate answer. He responded after a brief moment, "I require information."

"A guardian, a warlock, is not a sufficient researcher in his own right? How you have fallen." She smiled again, this time in what could almost be called playfulness.

He ignored her jab. "My mission requires information that cannot be obtained by traditional means." He closed his pale yellow left optic, but the bright crimson one on the right remained glowing persistently.

"What would you like to know?" She asked demurely.

"It has been a year and a half since I have stepped foot in the City. I need to know what has changed in my absence."

"You have the means to do so already. To see for yourself."

"I know."

"I advise you do not waste my time, then, Judas." Her voice grew hard and cold in an instant.

He crossed his arms in front of him and looked to her. Her face no longer held the calm it once had. "You are the Black Dragon, the clandestine information broker that operates under the Vanguard's nose. You know everything and everyone in the Last City and beyond. However, even you must recognize that you do not know all that can be known."

"You may be surprised."

"As may you. I understand you have a history of animosity with the Vanguard's special investigations. A stroke of undeniable providence, then, that I am before you tonight." He looked her in the eye now. "I intend to dethrone the false prophet and warmongers, to topple their ivory Tower. With your resources and my abilities, I know it to be an eventuality."

"Will it be inevitable without my aid?"

"We will not have to find out." He offered a slight chuckle and bowed his head slightly.

"Nothing is free, Judas. Show me what you offer and I may agree to your terms."

Without a further word Judas let his hands drop down to his waist. He took a step back and reached behind him to pluck a scale from the wall and pull it away between his index finger and thumb. He stared at it-it was no simple scale, but a small robot in the shape of a locust. Its thin metal legs scrambled in the air in a vain attempt to escape.

The Black Dragon raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You are aware that I command them?" It was as much a warning as a question.

"Follow the locusts," Judas whispered, "And you reach the dragon's den." When the locust in his grip extended a whip-like stinger from its abdomen and lashed out at his hand, he held it tighter in his grasp. He closed his eyes and focused for the briefest of seconds, and before it could plunge its razor-sharp stinger into his palm it completely stilled, its struggles ceased in an instant. He loosed his grip on it and it calmly walked along his fingertips.

The Black Dragon narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "You calmed it after I commanded it to sting you. Impressive." She bit back another word: worrisome.

"On a single small unit, I can dominate something completely with barely a thought." He let the locust go and fly toward its former master. "Larger systems take longer."

"And how much larger can this power of yours go?"

"Theoretically," Judas explained, "Entire computer systems. Perhaps even other exos."

She nodded once, now sufficiently intrigued. "We may have an agreement-"

"Alliance." Judas corrected her.

She did not bother arguing. "-after all. Go and see the Tower for yourself. After, I would be more than eager to fill in the gaps for you."

Judas nodded again and stepped away warily, all too aware of her eyes upon him with fierce intensity. He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, pulling his helmet on again. There were no words left to say until he returned.

He descended the stairs and stepped out into the cold night and gazed up to the sky, to the softly twinkling stars of distant systems shining alongside the bright white moon where ancient evils slumbered. He looked to the Traveler, the huge god-sphere hovering over the City as silent and broken as the day he had first seen it so long ago. He looked to the City's edge and to the pristine white Tower, home of the guardians and heart of their corruption. He began making his way toward it.

He would find the answers.


	6. Chapter Five: The Abandoned Apostle

**Chapter Five: The Abandoned Apostle**

He hugged the ladder rungs tight and looked up, the chill in the air tinting the edges of his visor with a thin layer of frost. It was the final stretch. He could do it. He'd done it before.

He reached up and continued on, hand over hand, foot over foot, climbing steadily up the side of the Tower. It had been too long. At last he could see the open door leading into the pitch blackness of the Tower hangar's underbelly. His spirits renewed, he sped up and nearly jumped up the last few rungs and threw himself into the surprisingly humid metal crawlspace.

The hatch door creaked lazily at the slight change in wind direction coming from behind him. A leaky pipe squealed and sputtered hot mist underfoot. He looked around and found what he was looking for on the right side of the room. He stepped over and pressed his hand to the thin and tall metal door, grasping the knob with his other hand. " _Ephphatha_." He whispered and tried to turn the knob and press the door open with his shoulder, but it didn't budge. He sighed and took a step back before rushing and raising his boot to kick the door open hard, sending it screaming on rusted out hinges as it slammed outward and into the hall, its upper hinge completely ripping off and the bottom one hanging on pathetically as he stepped over it and into the service network tunnel of the Tower. "Be opened."

He shook his head and looked over his shoulder. From the open door he could see the thin threads of gold woven through the black-blue night. Dawn was coming soon.

He snaked his way through the service tunnels, barely enough to squeeze through at times and made of thick concrete, on the lookout for the path that would take him up to the main plaza. At last he found it and stepped through a thinner door left unlocked. The stairs were winding and went on for a dozen flights before they emptied into a wide hallway painted a dull green. He read the sign painted on the wall directly in front of him as he closed the door he had emerged from: "Tower plaza, left." He looked, and sure enough the large hallway spilled out into the open-air Tower plaza, with its immaculate architecture rising high above its denizens, pristine floors marred with puddles left after years of heavy condensation and precipitation. He stepped forward and took a moment to see the Tower in all its glory without a soul to disturb its almost alarmingly tranquil silence.

He turned and ran his hand along the cold steel railing that led the way toward the bounty board and, further on, to the stairs that led to the Vanguards' office in their enclave. He looked to the sky and saw the hint of golden sunlight peeking out from behind the mountain range. He did not have much time left.

Judas-33 stepped down into the Hall of the Vanguard, abandoned at this hour and sure to be bustling again soon. The red, chipped paint lining the hall down past Lord Shaxx's modest, well organized space was as he remembered. So much of it was as he remembered.

Wait. He stopped at the bottom of the second set of stairs, looking over to the space between the short flights, normally empty save for a few boxes. Now, however, it was occupied by a scattering of boxes, a canopic jar that glowed with the sickly green magic of the Hive, and, even more curiously, a huddled woman underneath at least four layers of moth-eaten, bug-infested blankets. She tossed and turned in her sleep, muttering. "His...the king, like… fingertips on my… mind…" Her words trailed off ominously.

He looked down to her for a moment in pity and remorse. He didn't know her. And deep in his mind, past the implications of such a revelation, he realized he did not care. He turned and strode down the hall to the office, blocked off by the thick barn doors that closed it off from the rest of Tower when it was necessary.

He wrenched the doors open, a curiously easy thing to do, and he saw that they were barely held together by a security strap around the complex, and broken, locking mechanism.

The Vanguard office was as he remembered it, though subtly different. The war map Zavala spent so long pondering was new and different, appearing to show an attempt at tracking Hive movements across the steppes instead of his eternal Fallen enemies. Ikora's books were splayed out across her end of the huge table, but instead of molecular theory and philosophies long proven inaccurate, she had dredged up long forgotten tomes of legends, superstitions, and a few on advanced automated defenses and a guide for reverse-engineering Eliksni technology. Cayde-6 was still adjusting to his new position when he had last been here, but now it seems he has grown into it-trinkets and tools lay scattered across a huge swath of the table atop an old paper map.

"So many memories." Judas mused softly to himself as he stepped down, looking over the various plans that the Vanguard were no doubt making in an effort, however vain, to counter his eventual assault on their Tower and the Last City. "Surveillance silence, one hour, override command three-two." It never hurt to be cautious, he thought, as the robotic tenor of the security system assented to his orders.

He looked first to Ikora's station. "Hmm. Automated defense turrets. How quaint." He circled around to Zavala's station. "Tracking Hive mobilizations to find me? Like shooting into the sky to hit a star." He almost laughed, then inspected the holographic display in the center of the table that displayed a timelapsed sequence detailing the fortification of the Tower's outer walls.

Judas nodded in appreciation. "That could work." He looked down and tapped a few of the buttons on the command console, shifting the values of the design plans by seemingly random numbers, offset from their originals only ever so slightly-only enough to not be noticed and still hamper the Engineer Corps' progress. "Rejoice."

He continued on to Cayde's station, curiously devoid of any and all plans against him. He picked up a hand compass from on top of an old paper map and inspected it, as if it would hold the missing piece of the Vanguard's schemes. It revealed no such secrets to him. He scanned the others and his optics paused on a pyramid made of darkly gleaming metal set atop a pile of papers.

"God on high," he whispered as he reached out to it and picked it up, feeling its hefty weight in his hand. "He just keeps this thing laying out in the open?" He slipped it into an inner pocket of his tattered black robe. It was too dangerous to leave in sinners' hands.

A noise, soft at first but growing in volume, turned his attention back down the hall. Boots brushing the ground, pebbles being sent raining down the stairs, voices like uneven birdsong in morning smalltalk chatter. Judas quickly walked up and out of the office, closing the doors behind him and tying them together with the security strap in a loose configuration that he supposed was similar to the state he had found it in. Just as he was about to turn and leave, however, the group came around the corner and approached.

There were three of them, all male guardians. The one in the center, a human in green armor and a short black scarf, was clearly a hunter. He was flanked by another human in deep violet armor and a black flag at his hip-obviously a titan-and an Awoken in a long ice-white coat with a fiery armband-a warlock, Judas noted. The three of them were wrapped up in a conversation led, albeit seemingly reluctantly, by the Awoken man.

"I've already divulged all the information you need to know." The Awoken spoke with haughty intelligence verging on narcissism. Judas wondered if he had earned such disdain for his friends-for who else would he be awake with in full armor at this hour?-or if it were simply in his nature to look down upon those he thought of as lesser.

"Come on Koru," the hunter's words were already grating, the very definition of verbal prodding. "You didn't even get to the good parts yet! So we know about the blowjob and the upside down thing,"

"That one's my favorite." The titan spoke up, and was almost as quickly disregarded in the conversation. Did they not want to acknowledge his contribution, or was his side even considered a contribution at all?

The hunter continued. The warlock's cheeks grew increasingly flushed. "Koru, did she let you do butt stuff?"

The warlock sighed. "That's not-"

"Hey look guys, a people." The titan interrupted his teammates' argument to point to Judas, clad in all black, standing still between them and Lord Shaxx's station.

"Holy shit." The hunter nearly recoiled and took a step back. "You scared the shit outta me."

"What are you doing here?" the warlock asked him.

Judas looked him over a little closer. His voice was familiar, and all at once his mind raced a million times over through his memory banks, and he knew all too clearly where he recognized him from. He was one of the warlocks that had found him underground. Judas replied through a conscious filtration of his own vocal systems, masking his identity to them. "I have a report to give the vanguard." His usually gravelly and coarse voice was replaced with one youthful but deep and still hopeful.

"Like, an important report? Or a regular report?" The titan leaned forward, stroking his thick black beard thoughtfully.

"Regular report?" Judas answered, more eager to end this ridiculous charade than actually play along.

"Oh, okay then." The titan turned to his teammates and whispered obnoxiously loudly, "Don't talk to him, he's just the help."

The hunter ignored him. He stepped over to Judas and motioned to him up and down as if to prove a point. Judas felt the warmth of the sun emanate from this hunter, as radiant as daylight itself. Curious. "Hey, you're a warlock right? So I hear they have this sex book, right, like with all the different positions and shit. You know what that is?"

"Kamasutra." Judas replied coldly. The warmth of the sun seemed to reach out from the hunter and envelope him. He looked to the other guardians, but they were simply staring back at him. How could they not feel the raw power?

"Right! Okay, so like, do warlocks like to get freaky with that exotic stuff? Someone won't tell us." The hunter looked over to the warlock in white with an accusing, but somewhat playful, tone.

"Ask him if he banged Eve." The titan offered.

"Why do I have to? You do it, he's right here." The hunter retorted.

"Hey, did you bang a chick named Eve? Warlock, about this tall," The titan held a hand out indicating the woman's height, "Wears red. Bangs." The titan paused as if struggling to find more descriptive traits, "About 34C cup size?"

"Come on Roy," the hunter reprimanded the big man, "Just because a bunch of guys have slept with her doesn't mean this guy has."

"But it's a pretty good chance, let's be real." The titan, Roy, said with a smile.

"Shots fired." The hunter shrugged.

Judas's mind flashed a million images at once before his eyes. Yes, he knew her. Not well.

"No." Judas answered simply after a time.

Those days were long ago, but there was a time when he would have said so much more. If only he had done something, or perhaps simply kept his head down. But where was salvation in waiting?

"Guys, I'm right here." Koru held his temples with the tips of his fingers and rubbed them methodically in circles. "It is far too early in the morning to discuss, you know, her past."

"Oooh," The hunter sidled in closer to Koru, "Have you guys not talked about that yet?"

"What's there to talk about?"

"Well has she ever banged a chick?"

"What? No. I don't know." Koru sighed in exasperation. Judas knew the feeling.

"Well, Lilei seems really into her. And you know, she is kinda cute. For an Awoken girl." The hunter chuckled, and the titan joined in. The warlock, Koru, did not.

"That's surprisingly racist." Koru glared at the hunter.

"Oh I didn't mean it." The hunter waved the comment off.

At last the moment got the better of Judas. He had been robbed of this for what felt like a lifetime twofold. Gossip, however petty, was a social connection to one's peers and superiors' lives. Immoral, repugnant, clandestine, but savory and prolifically partaken in regardless. He broke into their conversation. "Eve? As in, Eve Delaine?"

"Uhh, yeah." The hunter nodded and brushed his brown hair from in front of his eyes. "She's Koru's girlfriend." He pointed to the Awoken warlock.

Judas looked Koru up and down. The warm embrace of the hunter's light had seeped into his mind and seemed to set his soul ablaze. It had been more than a year since he had seen Eve, and even then he had never been particularly close to her, but he could not help but think that this blue-skinned man was far from good enough for her. He bit his tongue. "Oh, I used to know her."

"Used to?" The hunter asked.

"Promotion." Judas offered without any further explanation. What was happening?

The hunter squinted at him and nodded as if accepting that.

"If I tell you what happened," Koru finally relented, "Will you drop it?"

"Yes!" Phoenix smiled wide and turned his full attention to Koru now, completely ignoring Judas.

"Okay." Koru lowered his head and spoke low, just above a whisper, now. "We went back to her place. It was different this time, though. Normally she likes to throw me on the bed and be in control, tie me down-"

"Wait, whoa, hold on. You got tied up?" The hunter asked.

"Yes."

"Did she like, whip you and stuff?"

"Sometimes."

"Did you like it?"

"Am I going to tell the rest of the story or are you going to dissect my sexual preferences?" Koru frowned. This, or some approximation of this exchange, had happened before. It may even be a regular occurrence.

"Okay fine, tell the rest." The hunter crossed his arms, but leaned in, clearly intrigued.

"Anyway," Koru continued, "This time she just, sort of… sat down on the edge of the bed. She told me I was in charge, and then she just started taking her clothes off. And we tried some new things, mostly role-reversal stuff. Handcuffs, a little roughness, uhh…" He trailed off and his face grew more flushed, making him appear almost a light shade of violet.

"How rough are we talking here?" Roy spoke up. "'Cause she tried some of that shit on me, I wasn't having it. Nothing going up my butt."

The hunter picked up on that immediately. "Koru, did you take it up the butt from her? And did she let you do butt stuff? You never answered that."

"Yes." Koru answered simply, hanging his head, though not in shame, Judas realized as he saw the smile on the man's face.

"To which one?"

"Well, I think that's all I'm comfortable telling." Koru brought his head back up and brought his hands together in front of him. "Why don't we discuss your night now?"

The hunter rubbed the back of his neck and laughed almost nervously. "Oh, nothing much, you know."

"He tried hitting on Lilei." Roy explained in clear terms.

Koru shook his head. "You know she's a lesbian, right?"

"Well I do now. Would have saved time and money if I had some warning."

Koru shrugged and straightened his coat's high collar-Judas could see the edge of telltale bruising just beneath it.

What the hell was happening? He did not want to be here. He did not need to be here. Most of all, he could not be here. If he were found now, cavorting with these idiots in the Vanguard Hall before his plan had even come together… Judas at last could bear it no longer. His curiosity need be sated, and damn the consequences.

Judas stepped forward between the three guardians and edged in close to the hunter, nearly face to face now, and looked him in the eye. The other man could not return the gesture through the deep opaque visor, and nor could he want to. The hunter leaned back away from the strange warlock's sudden approach. His teammates stopped their jovial laughter at his expense to watch this new scene unfold.

"You." Judas whispered, almost bringing his hand up to caress the hunter's light, burning so feverishly hot in a blinding aura all around him. Judas's own energy spilled out, cold as nothingness, and the two mingled in the space between their bodies as the perpetual meeting place of day and night, of shadow and light, of cold and hot. "What is your name?" It was a simple question. None of the other guardians could see this mingling of light, he was sure. Only him.

"Uhh, Phoenix." The hunter managed, clearly uncomfortable. "And you are?"

"From the ashes…" Judas paused, stark still for only a breath. "Simon."

"Well Simon, you mind backing off?" Phoenix lost his smile and brought his hands up between himself and Judas.

Judas maintained eye contact for a moment longer, watching the hunter squirm, but not out of pure discomfort. He knew the shimmies that Cayde-6 taught all his pupils, the short and quick movements hidden behind a veneer of mundane purpose to get oneself in a position more advantageous in a fight. He relented and took a step back away from Phoenix, an act that clearly eased some tension among the guardians.

From over Phoenix's shoulder Judas saw the titan and warlock Vanguard, Commander Zavala and Ikora Rey respectively, as well as Lord Shaxx and his battle frame Arcite-99 descend down the stairs and enter the Vanguard Hall. Judas took a breath to steady his racing mind. They would not recognize him, and if they did, he could leave before they were wiser. He would not have completed his mission here, but he would have escaped with his life. That seemed a fair trade.

But the moment never came. Shaxx took up his spot and began his day as the Crucible handler, Arcite-99 took its spot across the hall from him, diligently scanning the results of recent matches. Commander Zavala strode past the group of guardians loitering in the hall without a word. Ikora Rey, however, did at last break the silence that came with the start of the work day.

"Warlocks." She nodded to Koru and to Judas in turn. "I'll be making an announcement shortly, but please remember that we are gathering in the Black Chamber this morning. Carry on." She walked into the office and got to work herself.

"Thank you, ma'am." Koru nodded in deference before slapping his forehead with his palm. "Damn it all, I forgot about the meeting."

"Black Chamber?" Phoenix asked. "That sounds cool. Can we come?"

"Huh? No, no. It's for warlocks only." Koru nearly stammered out as he turned, obviously meaning to leave the group.

Now was his chance. If he didn't take it, he would be stuck here, pondering the mysteries of this hunter all day. There were others, after all, that needed his attention first.

"Well, it's been great." Judas said as he slipped around Roy and toward the stairs leading back to the plaza. He gave a silent nod to Shaxx on the way out, which the Crucible handler almost returned. "But I gotta get going. Black Chamber, all that." He had no idea what the Black Chamber was, but it was a good enough excuse. They watched him go, only Phoenix bothering to wave a reluctant goodbye

He could hear them behind him, still arguing. It was as if that's all they were truly skilled at.

"So what if I got one of those dress thingies you guys wear? Would they let me in then?" Roy asked Koru.

"No. It's not for hunters and titans, it's warlocks only. Now I'm going, don't follow me. I'll know if you are." Koru reprimanded him.

"But what can you do about it?" Phoenix asked coyly.

"Don't you have a video to get?" Koru inquired desperately.

"Oh yeah! Shaxx, do you have a copy of our fights for the cult lady on Mercury?"

"What if I pretended to use big words, too?" Roy asked.

"You're not getting in, Roy."

"Constabulary!" Roy yelled in objection.

"Okay, I'm done here. See you later." Koru threw his hands up in resignation and walked out and up the stairs.

 **II**

While his teammates briefly bickered over the nature of the Black Chamber meeting, Phoenix watched Simon leaving from the corner of his eye. With each step the mysterious warlock took away from him, Phoenix felt a queer warmth return to him.

"Here you are." Lord Shaxx interrupted his thoughts. "Every fight worth remembering is recorded for you." He thrust a small plastic computer drive into the hunter's hands.

"Huh?" Phoenix said with a start, broken from his near trance-like state. What was up with that guy? "Oh, thanks Shaxx. You the man."

Lord Shaxx gave him a long, cold stare. "I know."

Phoenix returned to his teammates just in time to see Koru throw his hands up in frustration and walk away in a huff.

"Hey Phoenix, wanna sneak into the Black Chamber thingy with me?" Roy asked jovially, a grin on his face. He already had a plan, Phoenix knew.

Phoenix felt his heart return to its normal resting pace, felt his breaths getting deeper. Simon had an interesting, unnerving quality about him. He was cold. But it was physical, real, tangible. A shiver went down his spine as he contemplated the most recent few moments of his life in near silence.

"Phoenix?" Roy waved his hand in front of the hunter's eyes briefly. "Anyone home?"

"Roy," Phoenix started, "What was up with that Simon guy?"

"Are you still on about that?" Roy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "What do we say about talking to the help?"

Phoenix sighed. "We don't talk to the help." He repeated the mantra that had been drilled into his head since forming Fireteam Pluto with Roy. "But," Phoenix relented, "I don't think he was just some guy. I think he was someone important."

"The help is never important." Roy countered, but motioned with his hands for Phoenix to continue.

"Okay, but like he was here dropping somethin' off he said, but I didn't see him carrying anything."

"Maybe he already delivered it?"

"And why's he wearing all black? Like, head to toe. And that helmet, just black glass on black metal. And he was here before dawn. Not even the Vanguard, who he apparently gives his reports to, are here that early." Phoenix began pacing around Roy as he spoke, pointing up to the ceiling with each new piece of evidence he recited. "And then when he came in real close, asked me who I was. And he said that thing the Vanguard always say about me." He brought up his hands and made an exaggerated motion with them to convey his general disdain for the next words out of his mouth, "'From the ashes…' Ooh, so mysterious."

Roy shrugged. "Could be he's part of a special operations unit."

"Where's his fireteam?" Phoenix asked.

"I mean, we don't exactly go about all our business together." Roy suggested.

"No, no. Something's up with this guy and I need to find out, preferably before the trail goes cold." Phoenix shook his head and started back down the hallway they had come from.

Roy cursed to himself under his breath. "Bitches…" Then he called out, "All right, fine. Go waste your time chasing down your new boyfriend, meanwhile I'm gonna get us into that Black Chamber thingy." He waved Phoenix off as if the hunter wasn't already halfway up the stairs. Then he turned to Lord Shaxx, who was busy observing a Crucible match on his computer screen, "So, you know where I can find an extra-extra long warlock dress?" He grinned wide and leaned against the Crucible handler's desk.

Lord Shaxx glanced up to Commander Roy and offered nothing more than a stoic reply, as ever. "No."

/-/-/

"That guy's weird." Phoenix muttered under his breath as he wove through the meandering crowd of visitors, employees and passersby of the Tower's wide corridors. Hardly any guardians bothered delving into the inner workings of the Tower, he knew, but nonetheless he drew surprisingly little attention to himself.

Skye, his ghost, replied to him directly in his head. He would never quite get used to the odd tickling sensations it gave his brain. " _He was a little off-putting._ "

"What did he say his name was?" He asked, keeping his eyes up. Ahead, beyond the crush of people moving up and down the hall, was the mysterious man in black. Phoenix had been following and keeping an eye on him since their brief encounter outside the Vanguard office.

" _Simon_." Skye responded.

"Wow, a name dumber than Clarence." Phoenix chuckled and saw Simon turn a right-hand corner ahead of him. "Wait a minute. I know where he's going!" He nearly yelled out excitedly and darted forward, weaving in and out of the milling throng. He shoved past a young man whose eyes were glued to the tablet in his hand, sending him crashing to the ground. But the hunter barely managed to shout out "Sorry!" Before he was rounding the corner that Simon had taken.

He emerged into a much emptier hallway with pristine white stone stairs leading up to a pair of ornate wooden doors flanked by inlaid Romanesque pillars. The two doors at the apex of the stairway were plastered with black and yellow caution tape that, in some places, was falling to the floor. Phoenix slowed to a stop and looked up to see Simon ascending slowly toward the doors.

"The Speaker's office." Phoenix nodded and frowned. Thinking quickly he stepped back the way he had come and ducked behind the concrete wall, peering out from behind the corner to watch.

Simon paused and glanced behind him over his shoulder. Satisfied he was not being followed, he turned his attention back to the office. He reached out and ripped the caution tape from the door with unceremonious swiftness.

"Skye, run a background check on this guy." Phoenix whispered as he watched Simon slip into the darkened office of the Speaker.

" _What do you think I am, a psychic?_ "

"Kinda. I mean, you can read my thoughts, right?"

" _Well that's because I'm a part of you. We are one, Phoenix._ "

"Don't make it weird." Phoenix slipped out from behind the corner and started up the stairs. "So what can you do, you know, to be useful here?"

Skye let out an oddly mechanical sigh. " _If I can get close enough, I should be able to communicate with his ghost without either of you even noticing._ "

"How close?"

" _It might work if you hug him again._ "

"Ha ha." Phoenix said dryly, clearly not amused. "Look, real fast just run a check on every guardian named Simon."

A short pause. Then, " _That's weird. There's no one named Simon in the Tower registry. Like, at all. Wait…_ " Skye's voice trailed off briefly, and she seemed to make soft humming noises in her thoughts. His thoughts. It didn't make sense to him all the time. " _Okay there's one guy named Simón, but he's currently on assignment in Antigua. And there's a woman named Simone. But no warlocks named Simon._ "

Phoenix was almost at the top of the stairs now. "Well gang, I think we have a mystery on our hands." He let out a single, all-too-pleased-with-himself laugh. "Ha, name that movie."

" _I don't think that was from a movie…_ " Skye started to object, but Phoenix interrupted her.

"Shh, shh." He whispered as he approached the door on his tiptoes, careful to remain as silent as possible. "Don't talk, he might hear you."

" _You're the only one actually talking._ " Skye replied snidely directly into his thoughts.

"What did I just say?"

" _Ugh._ " And with that she was silent once more.

Phoenix quietly gripped the handle of the door on the right and turned it ever so softly and pulled it open just a crack to peer inside the huge room. The candles along the walls had long burned out, the hundreds of books crammed into their shelves had accumulated a thick layer of dust, but the golden pillars that remained standing and held up the great domed ceiling still glinted dully in their glory. The banners that hung from them, red and mysterious, were hanging limply from their places high upon the pillars. One of the gilded pillars lay crumpled in a pile of stone and metal on the ground where the Speaker had punched through it.

Simon stood still with his back to the door, just in front of the large round table that housed several golden instruments of astronomy. The gyrospheric astrolabe had been promptly replaced on the table after it had been knocked aside during the scuffle, but a sizable dent in one of its arms prevented it from spinning properly, leaving it to creak and rock back and forth in perpetual mechanical agony.

The room itself had no windows, but auxiliary lights lining the edges of the floor and domed ceiling offered some ambient glow to the room as if it were in constant moonlit night.

"I don't get it." Simon whispered.

"I could tell you…" A voice echoed through the chamber, coming from the opposite end of the table.

"What is this?" Simon asked no one.

"I could tell you…" The voice repeated.

"What's going on?" He took a step forward. Then another.

A faint click sounded off and the voice from beyond the table repeated its mantra. "I could tell you…"

"Tell me!" Simon yelled.

"I could tell you…"

Simon strode forward and circled around the table to the source of the voice, to the plush leather chair on the other end. He approached the back of it and stared down for a long moment at the form sitting in it.

"I could tell you…"

Simon reached out and spun the chair around to face him. Sitting slumped in it was a form that vaguely resembled a human being, dressed up in the Speaker's old white robes-complete with the burns and punctures that marked his end. A black hood was stretched over the top of it and a poor drawing of the Speaker's mask, with its thin slits for eyes, was taped to the front. The arms of the Speaker's robe were propped up on the arms of the chair with thin wooden sticks glued to paper drawings of an approximation of the Speaker's attire, one of which was clearly broken and dangling down to the floor. Upon closer inspection the form was simply a few feather-down pillows stuffed into the robes. In its lap lay a gray tape recorder apparently stuck on repeat. It clicked again. "I could tell you…"

Simon stood staring at the stuffed Speaker in the chair for a long, ponderous moment.

"I could tell you…"

Phoenix watched as Simon simply stared down at the fake Speaker. A chill rushed down his spine and reached its icy fingers into his heart. He tried to shake it off, but found it to no avail.

At last Simon spoke to the empty room. "I don't understand." He sighed and looked over to the door that Phoenix held ajar. "I know you're there, Phoenix. Come to the light." With a wave of his hand the auxiliary lights flickered to life and flared brightly, illuminating the entire room in white light.

Phoenix's breath caught in his throat and he squinted at the sudden intrusion of such bright light on the dark room. With a sigh of resignation he threw open the door and stepped inside. He smiled at Simon nervously.

"I could tell you…" The recording repeated.

Simon reached down and pressed the off switch on the recorder before speaking again. "Be quiet." He whispered to the device with what almost sounded like care. He looked to Phoenix again. "Explain." It was not a suggestion.

Phoenix rubbed the back of his neck and took a few steps closer, hoping Skye wasn't too mad at him to be paying attention. "Well, it's kind of a long story…" His easy smile faltered at the corners of his mouth.

"Explain." Simon repeated more sternly.

Phoenix sighed. "See, I woke up in the forest a while ago with this weird robot eye lady yelling at me. Nothing much has changed, by the way," He chuckled and waited for the warlock to respond with no such luck. He continued after muttering, "Tough crowd… Okay so anyway, I was fighting this thing in the woods and it had this cool laser gun, but it was going on a timer. So I figured it out, ran, and then I started wrestling it and-"

Simon raised up a hand. "Hush, please." His voice was strained and he was clearly agitated. "To this part." He pointed angrily at the fake Speaker made of pillows in the chair. "What is this about?"

"Oh, yeah that. So after I started a forest fire the Vanguard picked me up and brought me here. Then the Speaker got all creepy and attacked me."

"He attacked you?" Simon's interest was now piqued. "Why?"

"He took off his mask and yo, no foolin', there was nothing there. Just black."

An awkward pause came over them. "That's racist?" Simon offered.

"No no, like actually black. Like darkness. And he said he was one with the Darkness. I don't know what that really means, but he went crazy and my ghost started screaming, like, really loud." Phoenix stepped forward and stopped on the other side of the large round table across from Simon. "He was really strong, actually. But I killed him."

Simon's jaw clenched as he processed what Phoenix was telling him. "You… killed him. You killed a servant of the Darkness that had slipped under our noses since he showed up." It was not a question, it was a statement.

"Yeah. Cayde said he never liked the guy anyway so it was all cool." Phoenix smiled.

Simon nodded. "And... this?" He grabbed the pillow-Speaker by where his throat would be. He gave it a single rough throttle before tossing it back in the chair again.

"Oh right. Well Cayde pretended to be the Speaker for a while. Then he got bored and made up a plan to fake the old Speaker's voice in here so the other guardians don't get suspicious. But then he decided to make it look like the old Speaker left and made him the new Speaker. Forged a will and everything. Then he locked this place up forever." He leaned forward and poked at the broken astrolabe on the table. As if suddenly remembering, he straightened up and looked to Simon pleadingly. "Shit, uhh, please don't tell anyone about that stuff."

Simon stood still and stared Phoenix down. Cold nothingness spilled from him in invisible waves as he contemplated all that he had just been made privy to.

" _Phoenix!_ " Skye nearly yelled at him in his head, sending the sound of a ringing alarm with her already shrill voice. " _Phoenix, this is bad! His ghost, I saw it. It's… fading._ "

Simon looked from the hunter across the table to the fake Speaker in the chair, to the broken golden pillar behind him, to the secret door that was still open and led to the nearly empty storage room, to the fiery scorch marks along the walls. "Irremediable."

"What does that mean?" Phoenix asked quietly to Skye.

" _I… I don't know, Phoenix. It's not dying. It's slowly not existing anymore. I couldn't even talk to it, it was so weak._ "

"Impossible. Insane." Simon continued on without seeming to hear Phoenix. "Damnable. Unforgivable."

"So what do we do?" Phoenix inquired, watching Simon warily.

" _You need to get out of here, Phoenix. Now._ " Skye warned him.

Simon looked up to Phoenix. Even with his face hidden behind his helmet Phoenix could sense the danger emanating from the warlock like an arctic wind.

Simon took a step toward him and before Phoenix could react the warlock was in front of him in an instant. He spoke to the hunter softly as the lights flicked off. Now his tone was one of sadness, regret, and pain, all masked by unquenchable fury. "You do not know the manner of spirit you are of."

"Uhh…" Phoenix tried to take a step back.

Simon's right hand shot out and grabbed the hunter by the face, squeezing firmly to keep a hold on him.

"Wha-Fuck!" Phoenix yelled and tried to bat at the warlock's arm. He reached for one of his swords.

" _PHOENIX!_ " Skye screamed.

Now Simon spoke in a low whisper. His words drilled into Phoenix's ears, drowning out even Skye's screams. "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."

Phoenix felt a chilling wave of pure nothingness wash through him from his head down to his feet. His eyes drooped and he struggled to keep them open. He struggled to remain standing. He struggled to stay conscious.

" _PHOENIX WAKE UP! HE'S GOING TO-_ "

But Skye never finished her thought. Or if she did, he could not hear it. His knees buckled and he fell, crumpling to the ground of the Speaker's office weakly as his vision went black and the ringing in his ears resounded with a deafening drone. His body was completely numb, cold. His thoughts were going a mile a minute and yet he could not manage a single coherent one. He thought he could sense Simon stepping over him, but his entire sensory system was shut down before he could be certain. At last he closed his eyes and he clung onto the breath in his lungs as long as he could until he could bear it no longer. He exhaled and could not gain another breath. His heart was pounding but numb, then still.

Phoenix let the nothingness of pure sensory deprivation take him. There was no other option.

 **III**

Judas-33 stepped out of his portal into the brisk early morning of the lower City. The familiar lair of the Black Dragon lay before him. He stepped again into the cloying, grasping shadows of the house and made his way up the stairs without hesitation. He burst into her meditation room. She had not moved from her seat upon the ceiling.

She greeted him amicably, the robotic locusts lining the walls pulsing in perfect harmonic rhythm with her voice, lilting and cool. "Have you uncovered the answers you seek?"

"Yes." Judas nodded. "Yet it gives me no comfort."

"What does it provide?"

"Righteous fury." He replied. "They have already expelled the false prophet of the Speaker."

"Oh?" The Black Dragon feigned surprise.

"Yet the darkness in their hearts remains." Judas clenched his hands into fists. "They prop up an imbecile who committed crimes more grave than my own as a hero, and snatch power when they see it as advantageous. I cannot let such misdeeds go unpunished." He looked to her, gazing into her eyes. "Tell me everything that has happened since I have been gone."

She smirked and wordlessly beckoned him to sit beneath her.

He did as he was bade and sat cross-legged on the scaled metal floor. The locusts undulated beneath him and raised him up a few inches. The Black Dragon reached down and pulled his helmet off and handed it to him to set in his lap. His chipped blood-red finish showed scratches and streaks of underlying silver in the thin shreds of sunlight that streamed in from the window and between the locust swarm. The right side of his face showed heavy scarring around where his replacement eye was.

She caressed his face tenderly. "All that you require will be revealed." She whispered.

He closed his pale yellow optic and sighed as if in relief, knowing full well it could do nothing for him. The bright red Vex implant continued to glow, to scan, to analyze. He cursed the devils who had cast him out as he felt the gentle fingertips of the Black Dragon against his temples.

The two of them straightened their spines simultaneously and she pressed the crown of her head against his own. "Ease your mind, child."

This time it was easier to follow her orders. His roiling thoughts stilled. Even his Vex eye slowed to a startlingly human pace in its data processes. He felt a strange calmness wash over him and expel the hot rage that burned throughout his body, mind and soul. This, he knew, was the first step on his path of redemption, and the Vanguard's final breath of peace. He would cast them out and lead the righteous flock as was his destined duty.


	7. Chapter Six: Murder Begins in the Heart

**Chapter Six: Murder Begins in the** **Heart**

"Are you nearly finished in there?" A snide feminine voice called over the radio.

The warm summer winds of east Africa caressed her almost gently, wrapping her blood red scarf tighter around her neck and shoulders. She watched from her perch on a third floor balcony atop a craggy hill, her eyes locked on their towering target high above. There was not a cloud in the sky to obstruct the view.

His response was swift, and just as condescending. "Well, if you'd prefer, I could leave the rest up to you."

She shook her head, looking through her helmet's visor to the landscape below. Winding, dirty streets long abandoned snaked their way through a city of dirty gray and brown, the crumbling rubble of an age long gone its only ornament. Trees and other foliage sprouted up out of the concrete and steel, resilient reminders of nature's impartiality in the affairs of men. The wind picked up. She looked to the massive skyscraper that loomed above the nearby broken cityscape. Its glass face was pockmarked and broken by centuries of elemental abuse and the odd vandal poking its rifle through the gaps. It swept up high above where the clouds would be, dark and foreboding.

"And to answer your question," the man spoke again. "Yes. I can see you from here, by the way. You should have picked a better vantage point."

She frowned and picked up her sniper rifle, setting its bipod down on the rusty rail in front of her and gazing through its scope. She scanned the entire building from the bottom up and only saw her teammate when she reached the roof. He gave her a wave, a huge windmill-like gesture to make sure she saw him. "Hardly a fair judgement of my choice. The Fallen haven't spotted me yet."

"They didn't spot me, either, and I was breaking their necks in there. You're getting sloppy, Simone." He teased her in a coy sing-song tone before going silent.

Simone watched through her rifle scope as her teammate backed away from the roof of the skyscraper, then ran forward and leapt off, turning midair into a dive. She tried to keep her sights on him, but nearer roofs and roads just barely obscured her vision from his landing. She never did get to see how he managed to survive those leaps of his. Whenever she asked, he simply responded with 'faith.'

Ominously, his voice returned to her headset radio. "Ah, another storm brewing. I can hear it sing with the wind."

She looked to the sky all around. "There's no storm brewing, Thad." She let her rifle rest in the crook of her arm again.

Thaddeus sighed with obvious disappointment. "Prithee, no more. Thou dost talk nothing to me."

"Cut the chatter. Anyway, get up here so you can watch your handiwork." Simone clenched her jaw and looked up to the skyscraper. It wasn't the only one in the city, nor the tallest, but it was the most well-preserved and currently crawling with the gold-clad Fallen House of Kings.

Minutes of pleasant silence passed, the only intruding noise came from the songs of birds and bugs carried on the breeze.

The next time Thaddeus spoke, breaking the peace, it came from directly above her. "I boarded the Kings' ship." He dropped down off the apartment building's roof to land nimbly and silently on the creaky wooden balcony next to her. Clad in dark gray and black and a royal blue cloak cut with a wide hood to cover his helmet and worn in a half-cape fashion, he looked every bit the eccentric gentleman his voice gave him away to be. His breastplate's dozen or so red lights glowed dimly even in the sun. He gazed out wistfully to the skyscraper. "Now in the beak, now in the waist, the deck, in every cabin, I flamed amazement." He laughed then, a rich chuckle rising from his belly. "Not a hair perished." He shook his head and looked over to her. "Well, that part isn't exactly applicable. But you get the idea."

Simone scowled at him and reached down to her belt to produce a dark green device that neatly fit in the palm of her hand. She flipped up the cover on one end and her thumb hovered over the worn red button for just an instant. "You ready?"

Thaddeus suddenly bolted upright and took a step backward, keeping his back to the wall. "Check your scanners. Someone's here."

Simone paused and did so, bringing up a holographic display of the surrounding area in her helmet's interior display. Sure enough, something was approaching their location quickly. She heard the roar of engines before she saw the ship. She closed the display and stepped out to get a better view. Thaddeus had already vaulted over the rail and was on the ground floor, sliding through the sparse shadows to watch as the newcomer approached them.

"Knock knock!" Came the call over the ship's speakers, just barely audible over the roar of the engines spouting gouts of flame from behind it. Thankfully, however, the engines were quieting as it descended from the sky. "Anyone home?"

Simone squinted and pulled her hood up tighter around her helmet, activating her visor's zoom and enhance feature to look over the ship's make and model. A few of the dozen or more red lights that made up her helm's optical lenses flared to life as she did so. She scanned the hull, marking its pale blue paint job with long scratches all along the fuselage. It was big enough for one, maybe a few passengers, and configured in a standard structure similar to a Golden Age era fighter jet. She glanced down to where Thaddeus had been, but he was gone from sight now. Good.

Next she took a look at the Fallen-infested skyscraper far ahead. Through the hazy and warped view of the heated air around the new ship that obscured her vision, she thought she could see the aliens scrambling. She was sure that they had noticed the arrival of a guardian's ship.

"Merda…" Simone cursed under her breath and clenched her jaw. They needed to get this out of the way quickly.

In a flash of cubic light particles emanating from the ship's underbelly, a guardian materialized in the middle of the street below. Simone took a step back and levelled her rifle at the man. He wore a tattered brown cloak, wore his pistol on his left hip, and his face was a distinct and pristine cobalt blue. Her crosshairs hovered on his head, and she made note of the long protruding horn on his forehead, for a few seconds before she felt comfortable calling out in response.

"What do you want?" She asked. He turned to face her almost immediately, staring directly into the glinting scope of her rifle. His eyes shone a brilliant cyan even in the midday sun.

Even in this circumstance the new man's voice was suspiciously chipper. "Well hey there, sunshine. Mind putting your gun away for me?" Nonetheless, he stayed still and stared her down.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Cayde-6. I'm the hunter vanguard, and I'm on official business on behalf of the Tower and your employer." He tried to muster a cocky smile, but it barely manifested on his features.

"And that is?" She needed to be sure.

He seemed to sigh, but complied. "The Black Dragon."

"Make it quick." She called out, not taking her gaze from him.

The air around Cayde-6 shimmered and before the hunter vanguard could respond back he found his throat being held at arm's length by Thaddeus, who gripped the side of his face with one strong hand and pointed a retractable blade protruding from the underside of his wrist at Cayde's throat. Thaddeus made sure to stand well away from where he knew Simone's crosshairs hovered.

"Pray you, tread softly." Thaddeus proclaimed, drawing a second knife and gripping it in his opposite hand.

Simone took the opportunity to look over to the skyscraper again. Sure enough, Fallen were rushing throughout the hollowed out building in droves. Mobilizing.

"Didn't you kids get the memo?" Cayde ignored Thaddeus's words. "Or did I get here too fast?"

"Porca miseria!" Simone groaned. "So that's what she meant by an outside agent."

Cayde seemed taken aback by that. "So, is that a yes, or do I still get to stand here with a knife at my throat?" He glanced over to Thaddeus now. "Or, whatever this is. Hidden blade? Nice."

"Can we trust him, Simone?" Thaddeus flipped the knife in his grasp to a backwards grip. He looked through the slit-like visor in his helmet for a long moment, studying Cayde's eyes. How did he still not manage to lose that damned cocky attitude?

"Yes. Bring him over here, out of the street. Christ. Oh, but first," She grabbed the green device again, flipped up the cover, and pressed the button with her gloved thumb, all in the space of a breath. "Get that out of the way."

As Thaddeus was retracting his blade, sheathing his knife, and turning to grab Cayde by the scruff of the neck and lead him away toward the abandoned apartment complex, he heard the rocking roar of explosive charges detonating. He perked up and tried to look at the skyscraper he had recently escaped from, but Cayde's ship blocked most of the view. "Damn it!"

Primed explosive charges were detonated from the top of the building down, on every floor, sending out jets of red and yellow flames, shards of glass and metal, and throwing dozens and dozens of Fallen footsoldiers through the air to plummet to their deaths if they weren't already dead from the force of the blast. Each detonation sent a shockwave that echoed across the landscape and stilled the nuanced birdsong to silence. Each floor that erupted in a cacophony of destruction it collapsed and buckled under the weight of itself, courtesy of Thaddeus's expert placement on supporting structures, and fell atop the floor below. Within a minute the entire tower had collapsed in on itself and fallen down in a cascading inferno, sending waves of smoke shooting out from what had once been windows and up into the sky in acrid plumes.

Thaddeus hurriedly and unceremoniously tossed Cayde into the alleyway and leapt up onto a nearby low-hanging roof to catch a glimpse of the fruits of his labor, only to be met with a crumbling, smoldering pile of debris in his vision. Even the screams of the dying were not enough to brighten his mood. "Damn it, Simone, I wanted to watch that!"

Simone shrugged and stared down at Cayde, looking up to her from the alley. "If it's any consolation, you did an excellent job setting my charges. It was very pretty."

Thaddeus grumbled under his breath and dropped back down into the alley casually. "Fine, but give me some warning on the next one."

"No promises." She laughed lightly and returned her attention to Cayde. "So, what do owe your interruption?"

Cayde regained his composure. Had he just seen what he thought he did? He shook his head and straightened his back. "I need you for an urgent job. Are you guys down?"

"Sabotage?" Simone suggested almost hopefully.

"Assassination?" Thaddeus added wistfully.

"Tracking." Cayde looked to both of them in turn.

Simone sighed and leaned against the balcony's rail. "How mundane."

"But necessary." Cayde admitted, "But if it's any consolation," He continued, "This is definitely the most dangerous and exciting quarry you'll ever hunt."

"Keep talking." Simone urged him.

"We need a name. Last known location. Known aliases, associates, and frequented locations." Thaddeus counted off on his fingers as he dryly recited the necessary information. "It's not our first rodeo."

Simone shrugged. "We've done more recon and tracking work than any hunter in the Tower, I'll guarantee you that much. This," She gestured to the destroyed skyscraper still hurling smoke into the air as its remains burned beneath the rubble, "This was a rare treat."

Cayde nodded in understanding. "Name, Judas-33. Last seen in the sewers of the old Russian steppe, but that shouldn't count for too much. He's been known to move around the entire solar system very quickly. No known aliases, no known associates beyond the Hive he is able to command. He might have ties to the Ishtar Sink on Venus, but again, don't take that too concretely."

Simone contemplated that for a moment. "A few more questions before we agree to anything."

"Shoot." Cayde offered.

"Why don't you get some of your hunters to handle this job for you?" She asked.

The vanguard shrugged. "I needed the best for this one. And you just admitted to also being the most experienced."

"Do you have any ideas as to where he might be, or are we flyin' blind?" Thaddeus spoke up, leaning with his back to a low brick wall on the other side of Cayde.

"A Vex power source. Likely either the Black Garden or the Vault of Glass." Cayde explained.

"Black Garden? Vault of Glass?" Simone scoffed. "Those are just myths."

"You'd be surprised how many myths turn out to be true, especially these days." Cayde said simply.

"Do you know how he gets around so quickly?" Thaddeus inquired.

"Teleportation." Cayde answered.

"Impossible." Simone scowled down at him.

"Look, I don't know how it works, okay, but he does it. I've seen it with my own eyes. Here one minute, gone the next, on the other side of the planet. Or farther."

"You saw it?" She pondered. Judas-33 was an exo name and designation. "We're tracking a guardian, aren't we?" This she knew to be true before she even received an answer. Nothing short of a guardian's ghost could understand exo construction enough to bring one back to life. On top of that, exos could not breed. They were artificial creations made during the Golden Age, centuries long past, revived from death to serve as guardians.

"A _rogue_ guardian." Cayde corrected her. "And a dangerous one, too. He's got some crazy powers we never really understood even when he was with us."

"Like teleporting, talking to the Hive, and finding mythical, never-before-seen locations like El Dorado and Shangri-La." Thaddeus chortled and tossed his head back to rest against the wall, and he looked up to the clear blue sky.

"Look," Cayde said, "If you're gonna keep making a big deal about this, I could get you the coordinates. We also think he's risen to a high station within the Hive hierarchy already, some kind of prince or something. He's raising an army as we speak."

"I'll get in on that action." Thaddeus chuckled and looked Cayde up and down. "Get me a map and half the treasure is yours."

"Done." Cayde nodded once firmly.

"One more question." Simone interjected.

"Promise?" Cayde asked hopefully.

She ignored him. "Why do you need to find him?"

He thought for a long moment. Simone and Thaddeus awaited his answer with the calm predatory zeal of serpents.

"Well?"

"He's a threat to the Last City." He finally answered.

"To them, or to you?"

"To the Tower." Cayde tried, his cool facade giving way to his clearly growing frustration.

This time it was Simone who took a long moment to speak. The pause allowed the tension among the three of them to start to diffuse. At last she asked, "Do you ever wonder what drives a guardian to turn their back on you?" She did not give Cayde time to respond. "Something wicked, wouldn't you think? And perhaps, I think, it's you. The Tower stands for the Speaker and the enforcement of his decrees from the Traveler. But among your ranks there are guardians who disagree with his, and by extension the vanguards', doctrine. When rumors start to spread, people start to go missing." Simone stood straighter and looked down at Cayde with disdain. "And when a missing person's loved ones need to find them, who do you think they turn to? Why do you think we've had to go on so many tracking missions? But now someone you tried to make disappear - one of your own, no less - has returned seeking blood. And you're scared."

Cayde tried to speak, "Ah." After she paused shortly, her continuing tirade muted him.

"I just think, perhaps, that you've fallen prey to that old rule which never fails: that he who is the cause of another becoming powerful is ruined." Simone paced back and forth slowly on the old wooden balcony, her eyes locked on Cayde's, with triumphant swagger.

A palpable, tense moment of silence overcame them. Faintly, the frightened chirps of birdsong tentatively returned to the landscape. Another moment passed. And another.

At long last Cayde spoke. They seemed to all draw a breath of imminent relief at once. "So, is that a yes or an no on the job?"

"Ha!" Simone genuinely laughed, and almost grinned wide behind her helmet. "Well," She turned to her partner, "What do you think, Thad?"

"Of course!" Thaddeus perked up and straightened up against the wall a bit. He spoke with nearly zealous excitement, "Let them be hunted soundly. At this hour lies at my mercy all mine enemies."

Cayde gave a cynical shrug in response and looked to Thaddeus, "Calm down there, Hamlet."

"That's a yes from us. We can discuss specifics on payment en route. Where do you need us right now?" Simone lifted the sniper rifle she carried in the crook of her elbow the slightest bit.

"Ishtar Sink, Venus." Cayde visibly relaxed and was no doubt relieved to be down to business. "Be on call to move if I get a good clue of where he might be."

"Excellent." Thaddeus stood up and took a step toward Cayde, extending his hand for a handshake, which Cayde only somewhat hesitantly returned.

 **II**

"Hell of a find for a solo patrol." A young man's not-quite synthetic voice whispered with quieted amazement in the near-total darkness.

" _Getting that front door open was a little too easy._ " A decidedly artificial, masculine voice echoed through the huge man-made entryway in a massive underground bunker. A lone light shone from the small pointed object hovering over a heavily armored guardian's right shoulder, bobbing rhythmically with each of his titan's steps. " _We might not be alone down here. Watch out for Fallen._ "

The titan's fingertips grazed the cold steel wall of the terraced platforms overgrown with lush, weedy vegetation. He passed over a flowering vine and admired a pastel pink bud. "Ha, pretty sure the Fallen would have eaten this stuff by now. I think we're safe."

The ghost sagged in the air and turned toward the titan's helmet, a reflective visor covered the face and the crown of his head, just barely discernible as a dull silver in the inky blackness. " _Please don't pretend you've forgotten my lessons on Fallen biology and dietary habits, Sal._ "

The titan laughed and kept on down the hallway, marching with almost preposterously loud footfalls in perfect cadence. "Don't have to pretend." He announced happily. He approached the door at the end of the hall, inspecting it with his ghost's beam of light. The control panel to the side was cracked and broken and spilling with weeds. He appraised the door itself one more time before shrugging and forcing his fingers into the jamb and shoving it wide open with a mighty push.

" _Either way, keep an eye out. I'm sending a live update to the Tower. The Vanguard might be able to make sense of what we find here._ " The ghost nearly whispered now, its pointed chassis flexing with nervous tics.

"And I won't be able to? Oh, ye of little faith." The titan stepped into the smaller hallway that led into the network of the bunker. To the left the path took an immediate turn, and he followed it instinctively. This door was similarly closed, and he shoved it open with similar nonchalance.

" _I have my reservations. By the Traveler, what I wouldn't give to have a warlock, instead._ " The ghost sent its light down the new, shorter hallway ahead. This one featured a walkway with waist-high rails and the entire room tilted on its axis to end in a diamond-shaped door closed tight. " _Is that… Salvatore! This is a Golden Age bunker! This architecture… do you think a Warmind could still be here, dormant?_ "

"No clue." Salvatore ran his fingers along the tilted door, tried to force the sections apart, but it did not yield to him. "Looks like a dead end anyway." He shrugged and turned around, continuing his march down deeper through the complex.

" _Imagine the wonders hidden here. Untouched by scavengers!_ " His ghost whispered in eager amazement.

The titan passed another door choked shut by weeds. The sign above it was worn and completely illegible.

The cloying darkness seemed to close in tighter with each step through the bunker. In the blackness the hall seemed to stretch on for miles, and every thirty paces or so came another door shut tight to his explorations, with a similarly faded, and in some cases completely absent, sign marking their functions long forgotten.

His ghost's nervousness seemed to rush back in. " _Maybe we should turn back. The rest of the team could help us figure this all out._ " It suggested softly.

"And share the glory? I think not. Besides, Rafael would make me open all the doors for him, anyway. And never shut up about it." Salvatore grumbled as he proceeded down the wide central hall.

" _Hey, up there. Eyes up!_ " The ghost called out in his head. " _The end of the hall._ " It shone its light on a set of metal doors that filled nearly the entire width of the hall. Above them were metal embossed letters, rusted but still legible. " _Atrium. Might be important._ " It pointed its light to the side, illuminating a blacked out, but intact, access terminal on the wall.

"I can read, cazzo." Salvatore muttered as he made his way to the terminal.

" _I forget sometimes._ " The ghost responded sharply.

"Whatever. Just open the door, Lucito." The titan held the ghost out to the terminal, and in a flash of bright white the little ball of light disappeared into the machine, bringing it sputtering back to life quickly. When the ghost returned, Salvatore pressed the large green button marked 'open.'

The wide doors to the atrium squealed on worn out motors as they slid open, parted, and clicked to a premature stop, leaving only a gap barely wide enough to squeeze through. Salvatore rolled his eyes and pressed his palms to the edges of either one and shoved them further apart with a mighty effort. As he stepped through the new, wider gap between the doors, the hum of electricity resounded behind the metal walls. Faint lights started to flicker to life slowly.

" _Figured I'd start up the auxiliary power while we're at it. I couldn't access most of the facility systems, however. Something was blocking me. Something smart._ " The ghost's voice betrayed a curious mix of giddy excitement and numbing fear.

"Then we'll find it and bring it back to the Tower." Salvatore attempted to comfort the ghost with brash confidence as he waited for the lights in the atrium to come to life and give him a better view of his surroundings.

The lights flared to life in a nearly blinding flood of bright white light reflecting off of the dulled metal of the atrium's floor and walls from their dozens of haphazard placements across the floor. The auxiliary lights, mounted upon poles and hanging precariously low from rails running across the ceiling, washed the wide room in a blanket of white. As Salvatore took a moment to cover his eyes and adjust to the sudden intrusion that stunned his senses, his ghost let out a low synthetic whistle in surprise. It, being made of light itself, was apparently not deterred in the same fashion.

" _Wow… This…_ " Its voice trailed off as it drifted farther away from the titan to inspect the room further. Its wonderment was swiftly replaced with mounting terror. " _I can't believe this. Sa-... Salvatore,_ " It turned to its guardian, only now stumbling forward and squinting into the room to look around. " _Salvatore we need to go. Now._ "

"What? Why?" The titan groaned and kept one hand over his helmet's visor as he stumbled around. At last he began to get a better sense of his surroundings, and his free hand rested upon the edge of a steel work table littered with a couple dozen metal tools and instruments. He groped for one, held it up, and immediately recognized it as a pair of forceps. He glanced down to the table, and his gaze lingered on a set of ten or so scalpels, knives, saws, and other cutting tools. Their blades and handles were spattered and stained with something oily, brownish-black. He raised his head and looked over to where his ghost hovered, staring at him. The entire atrium, he saw, had a large number of these steel tables, about waist height and long and wide enough to lay down comfortably on, in the center. Along the walls were curiously wide white pod structures that stood about ten feet tall in unevenly spaced clusters.

What stopped him in his tracks was the cadaver lying on one of the more barren tables, the same oily brown liquid running down from it in now-dry rivulets to drip on the floor in pathetic pools. It was concealed by a white sheet, but its form was unmistakably human. The ghost bobbed in the air, silent, a foot over the body's head.

" _This is some kind of weird workshop_." The ghost stated almost blandly.

Salvatore inspected the other tables, and he counted seven others besides the one he was leaning against. Four of them were empty or held a few scattered tools. Two held cadavers similarly covered in white sheets. The last one, tucked into a corner next to a large computer array, held a body larger than the others that was less effectively covered.

The titan grimaced and took a stiff step forward toward the nearest body. With a shaky hand he reached out and pulled the sheet off in a swift motion, tossing it aside to the ground. His entire body stilled as he looked up and down, his eyes flitting about frantically as he began to piece it all together. The body was humanoid, but not human. Metal plates were pulled back to reveal surgically cut wires and softer material, with special attention paid to the abdomen and the back of the head. The oily liquid pooled underneath the corpse's midsection and oozed out with a horrendously powerful stench of rot. The plates and pieces of it were a rich lavender and its head was turned toward him, dead optics locked ahead and mouth agape. The back of its metal skull was open, circuitry spilling onto the table behind it. It was an exo.

"Oh my Traveler." Salvatore muttered.

" _I ran a scan. They're all exos. Even the ones in the pods. Except…_ " The ghost turned and looked to the table in the corner. " _That one's… Vex._ "

"Those pods have more of them?" Salvatore asked, aghast. "What's going on?"

" _I don't know, but we need to either figure it out fast or leave. Or both._ " The ghost looked about nervously, as if searching for threats. " _The vanguard might be able to help us._ "

"Can we get them out of the pods?" Salvatore inquired, completely ignoring the ghost's warning and making his way to the nearest cluster of four white tubular pods, running his hands over them and digging his fingers into the seams. He started to pry it open when he was interrupted again. He peered in through the thick blue-tinted window to the inhabitant inside, another exo, this one with a lime green finish, possibly female. Her optics were closed and her head hung slightly. She looked asleep.

" _Sal, no._ " It was sad. " _They're dead._ "

Salvatore nearly ripped the door off the pod, throwing it off of its hinges to crash to the ground. The pod hissed and rumbled with electricity as a rush of cold air blasted his armor. The exo woman inside was nude and remained upright, held in place by thick steel restraints wrapped around her neck, wrists, waist, and knees.

He stood in silence, fists clenching hard and his fingertips digging into his palms, for a moment. At last he spoke. "All of them?"

" _Yes._ "

"What kind of monster would do this?"

The ghost's eye core flared a bright cyan as it scanned the broken pod in front of him. " _It's a Golden Age cryostasis pod. They died in stasis waiting for… something. Maybe safe conditions after the Collapse, or for someone to come and get them._ "

"A savior that never came." Salvatore added solemnly.

" _Whoever's been… working... on them probably found them like this._ "

Salvatore nodded gravely and took a step back. "You're right. We need to go. Whoever did this, they'll be back. Son of a bitch." He muttered the curse beneath his breath, "And so will we. With Rafael and Elise, and investigators, and-"

A sudden voice calling out to him from the atrium's entrance shook Salvatore from his verbal thought process. It was commanding, rough, and just off from being completely synthetic.

"Who are you? Speak." It echoed throughout the chamber in furious accusation.

Salvatore was slow to turn around. His ghost hovered behind him, peering from over his shoulder to inspect the newcomer.

The lone figure was a warlock, dressed in all black, with the notable exception of the bond he wore, wrapped around his upper left arm. It was a simple ring of tarnished silver separated into two dozen or more small squares that encircled his sleeve. His robe was long and tattered, his helmet, an obsidian dome, featured a V-shaped visor. He carried a curious rifle, gray with a bloodstained bayonet attached to the underside and short sinister spikes protruding along the barrel, and leveled it at Salvatore.

Salvatore, for his part, took the time to assess the situation before speaking. He kept his hands at his sides, still balled into fists, and spoke with surprising calm. His own armor, a brilliant turquoise accented with black, stood in stark contrast to the warlock's ensemble. "I should ask you the same question."

The warlock did not respond.

Salvatore's ghost spoke directly into his head now. " _Keep your guard up. We don't know who this guy is._ "

A mechanical voice announced from the speaker system far above, " _INTRUDER ALERT_."

The warlock took a step closer to them. He seemed to address the robotic alarm system. "Did he hurt you, Methuselah?"

Salvatore tilted his head in confusion. "Methuselah?"

The voice responded, " _NO. THOUGH THE RIGHTEOUS WORK HAS BEEN INTERRUPTED_." Its hollow ring dug into Salvatore's mind.

Before Salvatore could try to make sense of these new revelations, his ghost interrupted his own thoughts. " _We have to get out now! Run!_ "

The warlock shifted his attention to the titan again. "I will ask once more. Who are you?"

This time Salvatore stood up straighter and held his hands in front of him to let his ghost materialize his assault rifle into his waiting grasp, which the ghost did without hesitation. He hefted the weapon, a standard model painted the vanguards' signature colors, orange and navy blue, and pointed it to the warlock. "I am Salvatore-9. By the authority of the Tower, stand down."

The warlock stood perfectly still. Silence.

"Lower your weapon, state your name and alibi." Salvatore commanded.

The warlock did not move.

"Last chance before I blow your brains out." Salvatore threatened.

At last the warlock responded. "Judas. You are trespassing in my home."

Salvatore stifled a burst of incredulous laughter. "This is a crime scene. You've desecrated the dead."

"And what will you do to amend it, titan?" Judas asked.

Salvatore took a glance around, to the mutilated exo on the table, the mysterious Vex in the corner, and the table of filthy surgical equipment. He looked back to Judas, and responded with resolute conviction. "If you resist arrest, I have no choice but to kill you."

Judas nodded. "Let it be so." He squeezed the trigger of his rifle, sending a burst of three bullets punching into Salvatore's gut. The shimmering shield around him deflected the worst of the impact.

And battle erupted.

Salvatore dashed to the side, grabbed one of the empty tables at its edge, and flipped it onto its side for cover, thin as it was. He peered over it and fired a volley of lead at Judas.

The warlock stepped aside nimbly. He summoned a mass of deep purple energy into his free hand and hurled it at the titan.

Salvatore's eyes widened as the grenade landed behind his cover, erupted into a ring, and formed into a deep violet seeking projectile that hovered toward him. He stood and grabbed the table again, this time picking it up and running at Judas in an attempt to slam the warlock's head in with it.

Judas stepped back at the apex of the titan's swing and disappeared from sight. The table came crashing down and dented the floor.

The titan kept moving forward, glancing over his shoulder only to see the guided axion bolt still following him.

Judas reappeared in front of the titan and thrust the bayonet of his rifle into Salvatore's stomach. The translucent shield around him broke away completely. It stopped the titan in his tracks. Judas pulled the trigger, sending three bullets point blank into his opponent. He glanced down to see Salvatore's oily, brownish-black blood dripping from his wounds.

Salvatore grunted in extreme pain, gasping in silent agony as the bullets ripped through him. The axion bolt found its mark and exploded against his back, throwing him forward and impaling him further on Judas's blade. He dropped the assault rifle in his hands, but reached out and managed to shove the warlock away long enough to bat his weapon to the ground.

Judas stood straight and grabbed Salvatore by the throat. "Peace to you."

Salvatore's ghost yelled inside the titan's head even as it began the process of healing his guardian. " _WE HAVE TO GO! NOW!_ "

Judas held Salvatore by the front of his helmet. For a moment the titan's vision focused intensely, but quickly faded to a fuzzy tunnel. He almost immediately grew groggy and his pain nearly numbed.

When Judas pulled his hand away, he appeared to be holding something. The ringing in Salvatore's ears almost muted the desperate cries for help. He shook his senses clear, and it seemed to work for a moment. With horror he watched as Judas held his ghost in a vise grip. The ghost's segmented pointed body squirmed and shook in vain as it screamed out loud now.

" _LET ME GO! LET ME GO! NO! HELP ME SAL, PLEASE! SNAP OUT OF IT!_ "

Salvatore tried to move, but found it impossible to do anything other than watch. As the edges of his vision faded to black, however, he found even that taxing. He wanted to help his ghost, but he wanted to rest first. If he rested he'd be at his best for this fight…

Judas silently held the ghost until its screams died, its entire chassis growing dimmer with each passing moment. At last its glowing eye core flickered, faded. With one last burst of light it wailed.

Salvatore was shaken from his state of exhaustion as he felt his entire being wracked with excruciating pain from deep within and all throughout. His ghost let out a final wail as its light, and Salvatore's, was drained away from it.

" _SAL! PLEASE!_ " It cried out.

Salvatore jerked into full wakefulness for a moment. He clutched madly at his chest as his ghost was completely drained of its life energy, the light of the Traveler. He screamed out and leapt at Judas, grabbing madly for the ghost held in the warlock's grip. His feeble flailings were batted away effortlessly. "LUCITO! NO!"

With a final stab of blinding pain Salvatore stumbled down onto his hands and knees before Judas. He shut his eyes tight and howled in agony. He was a guardian and had felt the sting of death so many times - yet never had he feared it until now.

Judas looked down to Salvatore and dropped the ghost's empty shell down in front of him. It clanked once on the ground and shattered into a dozen pieces, its now-dead eye core rolling toward its former guardian.

Salvatore gasped and panted hard, clutching at his chest and writhing in delirious torment. He looked up to Judas, but could not muster the strength to stand. His vision steadily narrowed further, and he reached out with a shaking hand for the ghost's eye. "L-L-Lu...Lucito. I'm... I'm so sorry, Lucito." He looked up to the warlock in black again. "Why?"

Judas stared down at him for a long moment before answering. "If I tell you, you will by no means believe." He answered.

Salvatore's entire body began to grow numb, and his arms buckled beneath the dead weight of his torso. He crumpled into a heap before the warlock. He gasped out a last insult, "Fuck you, asshole", before embracing the nothingness of unconsciousness.

 **III**

"Did he really think that would work?"

"It's Roy."

"So, yes?"

The warlocks shared in their laughter as they walked out of their group meeting in the Black Chamber. The ranks of the scholarly and martial orders alike filtered out of the long hallway leading toward the courtyard and the pristine marble library beyond. Koru Sen and Eve Delaine held hands as the crowd around them scattered like leaves in the wind, off to attend to their own business.

Ikora Rey strode past the two of them, giving Eve a respectful pat on the shoulder. "Your thesis is inspired, miss Delaine." She smiled and looked to Koru. She nodded once in recognition. "Mister Sen."

"Thank you, Ikora." Eve smiled back and the three warlocks walked side by side for a few paces.

"We must part ways now, though I encourage you to develop your theories further, they could go somewhere practical soon." As Ikora turned on her heel and made her way back toward the main Tower plaza, she called back. "Oh, and keep your titan friend out of my Black Chamber, will you?"

Koru offered a lax salute that the vanguard did not see in response. He shook his head. "Where did he find such a long warlock robe?"

Eve shrugged and giggled. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that."

A familiar voice called out from ahead. "Yeah!" Commander Roy shouted, flailing his arms in the floppy sleeves of a humorously oversized neon-pink warlock robe. He trotted over to them, nearly tripping over the trailing length that slid on the ground behind him. "It was a special order. One of those snippy-snip clothes guys."

Eve let go of Koru's hand to cover her mouth as she burst into a short bout of laughter.

Koru sighed. "Do you mean a tailor?"

Roy looked down to his thick arms in the billowing garment. "No, I think her name was Mabel. I think."

Koru pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

The titan looked to Eve and Koru in turn now. A few other loitering groups of warlocks were scattered across the courtyard, likely discussing the recent meeting, or just gossiping. Sometimes it was hard to tell. "Yeah, but it didn't work. Lame."

"Of course it didn't work." Koru frowned. "You look ridiculous."

"Could've worked if Phoenix was here." Roy muttered to himself, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Where did Phoenix go?" Eve asked. "It's not like him to miss out on a-"

"A harebrained scheme." Koru finished for her.

Eve gave him a curious glance. "I was going to say a fun plan, but sure, put words in my mouth."

Koru clenched his jaw.

Roy answered her. "He went off looking for his boyfriend."

"Phoenix has a boyfriend?" Eve raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "I have to hear this."

"Yeah," the titan bundled up the trailing hem of the over-long trenchcoat he wore and held it in his arms. "Some guy we met this morning. Warlock, an all black guy. He got all up in Phoenix's face and when he left Phoenix went chasing him. Oh!" Roy glanced to either warlock excitedly. "Was that guy in there with you at the warlock club meeting? His name was Simon. I know it because he said so, and you have to remember what Simon says."

"Uhh…" Eve shrugged and looked to Koru. "I don't know anybody named Simon."

"I know the man he's talking about. I was there this morning. He was coming out of the Vanguards' office, but none of them were in yet." Koru held his chin and looked up to the high-noon sun in the clear blue sky. "But I didn't see him in the Black Chamber."

"Doesn't every warlock have to go, though?" Roy asked.

"If they can. Sometimes they're on a mission while it happens." Eve answered him.

"He could have had a mission. We shouldn't worry about it." Koru dismissed the titan's worries with a flippant hand-wave. He turned to Eve, "What are we thinking for lunch?"

Roy tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Well, he left after you-"

"No he didn't." Koru interjected.

Roy continued, "So let me finish. He said he was going to the thingy meeting for warlocks where you guys went. But if he didn't go..."

Eve ignored her boyfriend's question. She turned to Roy, "If he didn't go, then he lied."

"Why would a guardian lie?" Roy asked.

"Says the pirate kell?" Koru offered in obvious disdain. "Eve, come on. Don't encourage him."

"I think he might be onto something." Eve countered.

"It's Roy. He's never onto anything."

"Guys, I'm right here." Roy piped up, and was promptly ignored.

"Didn't you say he was secretly a genius or something?" Eve asked.

Koru scoffed. "I called him a genius of simple mind. Which means he's still of simple mind."

"But you did say genius!" Roy yelled happily. "You heard it!" He called out to the warlocks engaged in quiet conversation outside of the library, "Koru just called me a genius, guys!"

"I didn't-" Koru was cut off before he could continue.

"It doesn't add up, Koru. Mysterious warlock in the Vanguard office, before they get there." She paused. "Wait, then why were you guys there at that hour?"

Roy answered her. "Phoenix wanted to get a copy of our best fights from the tournament. We knew Shaxx would have them."

Koru added, "Phoenix seems to think we can go viral if he makes, and I quote, a 'kickass montage for the Internet'."

"Oh." Eve mused. "That checks out, I guess. Anyway," She continued on, "A warlock covering up his tracks and trying to get into restricted areas? We need to follow up on this." She descended the several stairs down into the courtyard now. "Or at least report it to the vanguard."

"Yeah!" Roy shouted. "I'll go find Phoenix and meet you guys there! They are going to be so proud of us."

"Okay, sounds good." Eve smiled and waved as Roy left at as much of a full sprint as he could muster while contending with the double-length bright pink coat he still wore. She turned to Koru, "Did you still want lunch? We might have to stop somewhere quick or wait until after the vanguard thing."

When she turned to start toward the plaza, Koru grabbed her by the upper arm and stopped her. "What are you doing? It's just a hunch. From Roy."

She shook his hand off of her and turned to address him. "With evidence that you corroborated. Koru, what is this really about?"

"What do you mean?" Koru asked. "He's an idiot, and this isn't the first time he's derailed something because he reads too far into things."

"No." Eve replied simply. "You've been acting weird ever since the Trials of Osiris."

"So have you?" Koru tried to offer as a counter. "You know, the whole thing last night with," He looked around to make sure they were not being listened to, and lowered his voice to just above a whisper anyway, "With the leash and collar?"

She furrowed her brow at him. "That's different and you know it. And you liked it."

He met her stern gaze with his eyes.

"You said we should talk." She stated.

"And we didn't."

"We are now."

He recoiled and stood up a little straighter. "Shit."

"Go on, say what we should talk about, Koru." She crossed her arms under her chest and leaned back against a tall decorative planter overflowing with a leafy bush. She watched as Koru descended the stairs and stood closer.

He took a deep breath. There was no getting out of this happening right here and right now. He spoke almost too fast and his heart felt as if it would leap out of his chest at any moment. "Is it true what they say about you?"

"Excuse me?" She blinked once in surprise.

"About your," He paused to carefully consider the proper word. "Your promiscuity?"

"I can't believe you." She rolled her eyes. "Is that what all this weirdly protective-but-distant behavior today has been about? My sexual past? Who even are 'they'?"

Koru looked down and balled his hands into fists. "Phoenix and Roy said they looked into it after I asked you out. They said you've been with dozens of men."

She scoffed at that. "Didn't you just dismiss Roy's investigative claims earlier because he's Roy? Seems a little hypocritical to believe him on one thing but not another."

Koru clenched his jaw. "Also Clarence Roy Smallwood and Arda Maras in our first round of the Trials."

Her face remained stern and stony. Her emerald eyes seemed to burn into his very being. "And you'll also believe two strangers? What did they tell you?"

"Clarence said he," He looked around again to make sure no one was listening in. Luckily the Black Chamber was locked and empty. No one had a reason to come to this side of the courtyard until the next meeting. "He said he had you. And Klein, too. He said you had a reputation for being loose in the Crucible."

"Seems about right." She shrugged.

The words crushed the air out of his lungs. "Excuse me?"

"Seems about right for what they usually say about me. Why are you bringing this up, Koru?"

"Roy also fucked you." It was not a question.

"And?" Eve asked.

"He always makes jokes about it to me. It hurts." Koru's golden eyes met her emerald ones for a moment.

"Lighten up?" She suggested with only a hint of sarcasm. "So you hear rumors about me, your girlfriend, and decide to take them at face value. Real stellar research method, Koru." Eve shook her head and looked out to the sunny courtyard. The other warlocks had filtered away to the library or back to the main plaza.

"I wanted to bring it up," Koru explained. "Because I need to know if you're serious about us."

Eve glared at him. "That's how relationships work, Koru."

"Good. Roy said it was strange for you to stick to one person. I'm glad Cayde was wrong about you, too." He breathed a sigh of relief.

A silent moment passed. She scowled at him and spoke at last. "Roy said. Phoenix said. Clarence said. Arda said. Cayde said."

"Excuse me?" Koru asked, taken aback.

"But you never asked _me_ about anything."

"I-"

She continued. "You never asked _me_ how many men I slept with. You just took their number and rolled with it. You never asked if I actually had sex with Clarence-"

"Did you?"

"Well, you know what, Koru?" She stood up straighter. "I don't think you need to know. You never asked me how I felt about all this."

"Well-"

She held up a hand to stop him. "No, no. You lost that chance. Now, if you want to be honest with each other, we can be. I'll ask you a question, and you answer it honestly. Then you get to ask me one."

"Seems fair." Koru assented.

She barely gave him the time to respond before she spoke again. "Why did you ask me out?"

He paused.

"Well?"

"I thought you were pretty - no, beautiful. Smart. Strong." Koru smiled softly.

"Did you know I was the leader of a tier-three Crucible team?" Eve asked.

"No." He admitted. "I don't watch much Crucible."

"I see." She stated simply.

"My turn." Koru suggested. "Why did you say yes?"

Eve shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh." He glanced away.

"You know, Koru, I get called a slut, and worse, a lot. Behind my back and to my face. It's not an easy thing to deal with. There's a lot of reasons I never stuck with one guy for more than a few nights. Most of the time it's because they're assholes." She looked down to the ground, to her navy blue combat boots. "I guess I said yes to you because I usually say yes to a lot of guys. When we went out on patrol, I thought you were really weird, and then a bunch of crazy shit happened. You weren't the person I thought you were, but that was a good thing. But now you're not trying to impress me anymore and I get to see your true colors." She sighed and looked him in the eye. "Who do you think you are, Koru?"

"A guardian? A warlock? Your boyfriend?" He suggested. Too late he realized that her question had been rhetorical.

"Look, I need some time for myself." She closed her eyes. "I'm going now. Meet up with Roy and tell the Vanguard about this Simon thing. He'll definitely forget the details. I'll call you later."

He couldn't help himself. "Why are you so helpful to Roy?"

She opened her eyes, her emerald gaze seemed to lose some of its potent vibrancy. "Because he's a nice guy and he's my friend." She answered simply.

"Not the fucking thing?" Koru bit down hard on his tongue when he finished speaking.

"No. You know, my sex life wasn't exactly a secret when you asked me out. You just didn't know it. I thought you already knew and liked me anyway. I thought you were different from the other guys." She slowly turned and walked away toward the plaza. "But you're just like everyone else. Goodbye, Koru. Don't call."

His breath caught in his throat. This wasn't happening, was it? He stood still and watched her go, her head hung low and her rose-red trenchcoat flowing around her legs. He felt a cold, sinking feeling in his heart as it seemed to drop down low in his chest.

"Wait," He muttered weakly. He called out across the empty courtyard after she had left. "I'm sorry."


	8. Ch 7: Unity and Diversity In One Body

**Chapter Seven: Unity and Diversity in One Body**

Cayde-6 descended the short flight of stairs that led down into the Vanguards' office with a visible lightness to his usual swagger. Both Ikora and Zavala looked to him and glared in silence.

"All right team, what's our status?" He asked as he took his spot at the large war table, absently fiddling with a few of the various instruments he kept scattered over his map.

Ikora frowned at him. "Where have you been? It's already past noon."

"Hmm?" Cayde looked over to her. "I told you, I went out for a walk."

"Walks don't normally take sixteen hours." Ikora replied flatly.

Zavala jumped in. "Nor do they comprise of galavanting through the City like Tarzan."

"Oh." Cayde nodded, his bravado swiftly diminishing. "You saw that?"

Zavala continued. "They also do not traditionally include trips to the other side of the globe." The titan vanguard furrowed his brow and leaned forward against the table. "What were you doing in Old Accra, Cayde?"

Cayde took a breath to think. "Business." He replied simply.

Zavala clenched his squared jaw, his bright blue skin tightening with tension around his temples. His voice grew deeper, more stern and commanding. "Don't you dare lie to me. Not again."

Ikora Rey placed a reassuring hand on the titan's shoulder. She spoke with measured, tacit calm. "We need full transparency on your dealings, Cayde. We don't need something biting us in the back after this is all over."

Cayde scoffed at that. "Please, I'm just making sure we have a back to bite after this Judas thing."

Zavala roared at him, "That's the kind of callous disregard that got us into this mess!"

Cayde shot back. "Uh, excuse me? If I recall correctly, what got us into this pile of shit was your inability to pull the trigger in the first place. If you had just voted for the death penalty we wouldn't be here!"

The titan stood straight and tall. "Because of you we lost our best agents!"

The hunter cocked his head to one side. "Because you went behind my back!"

"What do you think you're doing now?"

"Fixing your mistakes!"

"They're all our mistakes, Cayde." Zavala nearly bit his tongue and kept his mouth shut as he took a fuming breath. His fists were clenched at his sides and radiating with deep, swirling purple energy.

Ikora Rey slid in between the two men and slammed her hands down on the table once. She did not speak until both of them were silent and focused on her. "Enough, both of you. Placing blame will not accomplish anything. We need a real plan, and we need to trust each other. Cayde, where were you? What were you doing? No lies or half-truths."

Cayde drummed his fingers against the table lightly as he thought of the best way around this conversation. "I was in Old Accra chasing a hunch. I think we might have a way to track down..." He paused and looked over his shoulder to see the wide-open door and several thin frames working in the corner. "To track down our prodigal son."

Ikora and Zavala shared a worried look. The warlock asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Gehenna." Cayde nearly whispered.

"You found them?" Zavala inquired. "They were off the grid for a full year."

Cayde shrugged. "Easy to find things if you remember where you put them."

Zavala scowled again. "What did you do?"

Cayde snapped his fingers rapidly. "Hey, focus, here. You wanna yell at each other for that, we can do it later. Anyway, I gave them some information on where our problem child could be, and have them scouting for suspicious activity. They're on standby in case we get a solid lead on where he is."

"Can they be trusted?" Zavala asked.

Cayde offered a weak shrug in response. "Eh… 'bout as far as you could throw them. Wait," He looked the titan up and down, "About as far as _Ikora_ could throw them."

Zavala sighed.

"Calm down, they're the best in their field and I told them not to engage with the target if at all possible." Cayde tried to reassure the titan.

"They're also brash hunters who haven't had to take orders for a year. They likely will not stick to protocol or even suggestions that don't suit them." Zavala groaned and held his face in his hands.

"Well, I wouldn't say that." Cayde offered.

Ikora spoke up once more, softly but with surety. "Where are they currently?"

Cayde looked down to his wrist as if it had a watch to tell him the time. "Right now? They should be crawling around on Venus."

Ikora looked to Zavala. "We could each send a trusted guardian to join them and oversee their search. Someone on assignment nearby would be ideal in order to rendezvous with Gehenna more quickly."

Zavala took another deep breath and nodded. "Yes." He pressed a few buttons and inputs onto the war table's holographic display. "Now, which of my titans are on Venus?" He muttered.

"Add warlocks to the parameters." Ikora added. "I need to know which of them is the most capable to assist."

Cayde crossed his arms in front of him. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

Zavala looked to him. "If I had my way, I'd send a dozen titans to apprehend him."

"Wouldn't work." Cayde explained simply.

"We know." Ikora interjected. "An army is too obvious. Two sketchy hunters are not strong enough. This is a perfectly viable compromise."

Cayde shrugged and let the other vanguard peruse their options. "All right, fine. I'll let them know who to meet up with as soon as we know more. But I'm telling you," He looked down to his area of the table and ran his fingers along a vintage compass, "I know what I'm doing. Gehenna can find the target, and if they aren't strong enough, then we have a backup plan right here." He paused and looked down to his assorted instruments on his map. In an instant of panic he paused. "Well, we did."

Zavala looked to Cayde. "What are you on about?"

Cayde stared down blankly at the map, his optics flitting between the compass, the pen, the inkwell, and back. It wasn't there. "I, uhh, need to go check on something." He turned and started up the stairs.

"Another walk?" Ikora suggested cheekily.

"Just," Cayde looked to them both as he walked up the stairs, "Just check and make sure everything you've been working on is going smoothly. You guys seen Phoenix?"

Ikora and Zavala shared another nervous glance. This time Zavala spoke. "Not since this morning. He was here with his team for some reason."

"Perhaps Shaxx knows more." Ikora offered before going back to the list of potential candidates for their newest secret mission.

"Shit." Cayde muttered under his breath and walked out of the Vanguard office.

Cayde-6 hailed Lord Shaxx with a wave, which the Crucible handler acknowledged with a silent nod. Cayde approached the huge titan, clad in pale and orange armor with furred pauldrons and a visorless one-horned helmet, with caution. No matter how jovially he sometimes seemed and how easygoing Cayde was, Lord Shaxx inspired fear and respect in equal measure. His desk and wall of the hallway, littered with trophies taken from his personal kills against the minions of the Darkness, were testament to that.

"Good afternoon, Cayde." Shaxx spoke softly but with distinguished cadence, stood a little taller and held his hands on his hips. "I trust all is well?"

"Opposite, actually. Lord Shaxx, did you see Fireteam Pluto this morning?" Cayde asked hopefully.

"Indeed. They were here bright and early, though it seems out of character for them." Shaxx paused and considered Cayde's question a little more carefully. "Why do you ask?"

"What were they doing?"

Shaxx chuckled under his breath and gathered himself before speaking. "Apparently they wanted to bicker. They had a short conversation with a warlock, I assume one of Ikora's special agents, and then Phoenix asked me for a copy of their battles in the Trials of Osiris." Shaxx paused again, stifling a chuckle. "I told him every fight worth remembering was recorded for him. I handed him a blank drive." He let out a single, harking laugh, "Ha!"

Even Cayde had to admit, as far as practical jokes went, that was the best he'd heard of Shaxx pulling. Nonetheless, he did not share in the titan's laughter. "And after that?"

Shaxx shook his head. "I had matches to oversee, I could not keep my eye on them long. After that, though, they left in short order." Shaxx called out over Cayde's shoulder to the thin frame across the hall from them. "Arcite! Do you remember where Fireteam Pluto went this morning?"

The frame, Arcite-99, jolted upright to address Lord Shaxx. It bowed its head once before speaking. Its voice was completely synthetic and awkwardly paced. "They dispersed individually. First, the warlocks left. Separately. Then the hunter departed, mentioning that he would like to track down one of the warlocks."

"Ikora's man? I couldn't imagine why he'd want to follow his teammate." Cayde suggested.

Arcite went on without regarding him. "Then the titan was alone, and visibly annoyed. He asked Lord Shaxx about obtaining a specific warlock robe. I generously directed him to miss Eva Levante's shop." It was silent for a moment, looking expectantly to Cayde and then to Lord Shaxx, then bent down again to continue its work.

"Thank you, Arcite." Lord Shaxx nodded. "What would I do without him? There's your answer, Cayde. Or do you prefer the title of Speaker?"

"Cayde's just fine, thanks."

"When can we expect you back in the Crucible? As infuriating as you were to watch, you gave other hunters a goal to aspire to." Shaxx chuckled, almost pained.

"Probably never." Cayde admitted absently. The hunter looked to the entrance of the Vanguards' office. Eris Morn sat cross-legged between the two flights of stairs leading up to the main Tower plaza on either side of the hall. "Well, we've got a mystery on our hands." He muttered as he made his way down the hall. On his way up the stairs, Eris hissed at him. He rolled his optics.

At the apex of the stairs that spilled into the plaza, flooded with bright daylight from a cloudless day, Cayde's ghost spoke into his head, " _Distress call from Phoenix._ "

Cayde perked up and picked up the pace, weaving through a crowd of guardians that tried to part for him too late. "Answer. Where from?"

" _The Tower._ " His ghost responded before answering the call.

Good, Cayde thought, at least he's close by.

" _Uhm, hello? Is this thing working?_ " A female voice came through Cayde's headset.

"This better be good, sweetheart." Cayde groaned, obviously disappointed.

She seemed to squeak and recoil away from the microphone. " _Well Cayde, this is Skye. Phoenix's ghost._ "

"Ghosts aren't supposed to be able to make calls on their own." Cayde said as he found the elevator station. "But whatever. Where are you two?"

" _The Speaker's office. Come quick, something really bad happened._ " Her voice was quiet but distressed. If a ghost could cry, Skye was on the verge of doing so.

Cayde slid into the nearest unoccupied elevator and shut the door before any other guardians could enter. He punched in the correct floor and sighed. "I'm on the way. Was I the first call?"

Skye's voice crackled with a short burst of static. " _You were the first name he put on his emergency contact list. I'll make calls to the rest of the team now._ "

"Got it. Clear comms, Skye. I'm on my way." As the call ended and the silence overcame him in the rumbling elevator, Cayde laid the back of his head against the wall. "What a day."

/-/-/

"What happened here?" Cayde nearly shoved the thick doors of the Speaker's old office open, leaving it to swing open wide and slam against the foyer wall. The room was bathed in artificial lights from the auxiliary fluorescent bulbs embedded in the floor near the walls. Three golden pillars remained standing, and Cayde noticed that several of the blood-red banners had fallen to the ground in heaps.

The hunter vanguard stepped forward hastily, scanning the room further with each step. The round table and the objects upon it were unmoved. The fake Speaker was slumped down on the ground in front of chair he had been propped up in for weeks.

Phoenix lay sprawled on the ground perfectly still and barely breathing between the table and the entrance. His head lolled to one side, his eyes half-closed and glazed over. A dried pool of blood matted his messy brown hair to the floor in sticky red-brown strands. Instinctively Cayde dropped down to one knee and laid two fingers on the young hunter's throat, waiting for the pulse of a heartbeat to allay his fears. Thankfully, after a moment of tense hopelessness he felt a single, weak pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Skye, Phoenix's ghost, hovered over her guardian's body staring up at Cayde hopefully.

"What happened?" Cayde repeated as he produced a collapsible electronic tablet from his belt. He hummed a tune while he browsed through a series of ancillary applications. At last he found the medical scanner app and promptly opened it.

" _Phoenix followed a warlock here. Then he knocked him out and left._ " The ghost reported sadly.

"Any names? Identifying markers?" Cayde asked. He held the device over Phoenix's head and examined the scanner's results as he spoke.

Skye seemed to nod solemnly. " _He introduced himself as Simon. He wore all black._ "

"Hefty fracture and hairline cracks originating from the back of the cranium. He must have gone down hard." Cayde shook his head slightly and ran the scanner over the rest of Phoenix's body, walking around him in a slow circle.

" _He didn't at first, but he struggled and lost control at the end. And Simon stepped on his head. Hard._ " Her voice rose in panic, fear, and anger at the memory. " _I fixed the bleeding but couldn't help with anything else._ "

That piqued Cayde's interest. "Why not? Don't ghosts have atomic reconstruction abilities? What's stopping you from healing all of this right away?" He glanced at the scanner's results once the device in his hand gave off a single high-pitched beep.

" _Something's blocking me. Whatever Simon did to Phoenix, it affects me too. Our light is… separated. I think that's the best way to describe it._ "

"Are the other members of Pluto on the way?" He asked absently as he flipped through his device's pages of recently acquired data. He stood up straight and stretched his sore legs.

" _Commander Roy is. As soon as I told him where we were, he started running._ "

"And the warlock?"

" _Didn't answer the call._ " Skye sighed in resignation.

Cayde looked down to Phoenix, still unconscious, and shrugged. "One thing at a time, then. We have to get him up and get you kids out of Dodge."

" _What do you mean -_ " Skye started.

Before she could continue, a resounding crash boomed through the entire room as Commander Roy threw aside the thick double-doors with disdain, sending one of them flying off its hinges and dropping to the ground heavily. "Where is my best friend?!"

Cayde watched, took a step away from Phoenix, and pointed down toward him without a word.

"No!" Roy shouted and ran forward, sliding down onto his knees, crawling over to Phoenix's limp form, and picking him up to cradle him in his thick arms. Cayde only now realized that the titan was wearing a ridiculously long neon-pink warlock coat.

"I'm not even going to ask." Cayde muttered as he finished examining his scans of Phoenix's vitals.

"Is he gonna make it, doc?" Roy asked through teary eyes. He looked up to Cayde, sniffled, and wiped his nose with one of the warlock coat's sleeves.

Cayde looked down to Phoenix, to Roy, and back again. "Should be fine, once we figure out what the hell happened."

"Oh!" Roy perked up and dropped Phoenix, allowing the hunter's head to smack against the titan's lap. "That's right! I was supposed to tell you what Simon said!" He smiled wide with pride. "Well actually it's what Eve said. But anyway, we met a black guy named Simon this morning on our way to see Shaxx, he hugged Phoenix, and then Phoenix started going after him."

"Skye, translate?" Cayde asked the ghost desperately.

" _Early in the morning Simon was coming out of the Vanguards' office. He stopped and talked to Phoenix for a bit, something weird came over him and he got really close. Then he left, Phoenix started after him, and here we are._ " Skye sighed and looked to Phoenix again. If anything, he seemed to be growing paler and his breaths became steadily shallower.

"I guess." Roy frowned. "It was weird though because he was there before Ikora and Zavala." He ran his fingers through his black, thick beard thoughtfully. "Curiouser and curiouser."

"No one comes to the office when we're out." Cayde mused, pocketing his scanning device. He looked to Skye and offered, somewhat reassuringly, "The rest of his vitals check out. Just the head trauma, the coma, and being cut off from your light."

" _Gee, thanks._ " Skye replied sadly. " _One other thing that might help you. We did a database check, there's no warlocks named Simon registered with the Tower._ "

"I know." Cayde hung his head low and looked to Skye. "Do you remember the last time you guys were here? The big fight with the Speaker, all that?" He gestured to the broken pillar, the fallen banners, the stuffed fake Speaker, and the broken astrolabe on the table.

"No." Commander Roy stated matter-of-factly.

Cayde ignored him. "Well, that device that I showed you? Little thing, triangle?" He held his hand out as if for scale. "It was designed to trap the light of powerful guardians like Phoenix. I used to keep it in my office on my desk, you know, hiding in plain sight. But," He took a seething breath and then spoke quickly, "It's gone now. Can't find it. At all."

" _And?_ " Skye asked, clearly impatient.

"And," Cayde continued, "There are only a handful of people who know what that thing is used for or capable of. And only about as many people know the prophecy about Phoenix."

"There's a prophecy about Phoenix?" Roy asked, head tilted to one side. "He never told me."

" _He brags about it all the time._ " Skye sighed, looking down to her guardian in Roy's lap.

"Then I don't remember." Roy shrugged.

"Anyway," Cayde interjected, clearly not amused, "What that means is that someone very dangerous is after Phoenix, and I think Simon is that someone. He knocked Phoenix out instead of killing him, but he could have done it. And I think he stole the inverse prism from me as well."

Roy's muscles tightened and his jaw clenched. He looked up to Cayde. "That Simon guy did this?" He held Phoenix almost tenderly in his arms.

"I think so. Which means - "

"He's gonna learn today." Roy grunted and raised his clenched fist up, crackling with bright electric energy.

Cayde crossed his arms over his chest. "I appreciate the enthusiasm." He smiled as best he could. His plan was coming along, too slowly but undoubtedly surely. An idea dawned upon him. "Now we just need to wake Phoenix up so I can give you guys your next mission."

"Oh that's easy. Got any pizza?" Roy grinned.

"Excuse me?" Cayde asked, befuddled.

" _Oh!_ " Skye exclaimed, " _That's right!_ " She orbited around Roy and Phoenix happily as she shot out a beam of light that formed into a triangular shape. In an instant a slice of thin-crust New York style pepperoni pizza was dropped down into Roy's waiting palm. It was warm. " _Why didn't I think of that?_ "

Cayde watched in amazement as the scent of pizza overcame the stench of dust and age in the Speaker's chamber and Roy held the slice under Phoenix's nose. All too quickly the young hunter's fingers twitched, he groaned, and his eyes fluttered open, still hazy and half-closed.

" _It's working!_ " Skye squealed jubilantly.

"I mean, I guess." Cayde muttered under his breath and threw his hands up in defeat.

Phoenix slowly opened his eyes further, took a deeper breath, and reached for the pizza. Roy handed it to him and helped his weak fingers fold the slice in half. Within the span of a breath Phoenix was sitting up and taking a nibble of the greasy food on the floor, staring down and holding the back of his skull with his opposite hand.

"There we go!" Roy patted Phoenix on the back gently.

Skye hovered close to Phoenix and shone her beam of light over his wounds. Even standing above them, Cayde could see slow progress as the bone began fusing and sinew began knitting together again.

"Ugh," Phoenix managed to blurt out, "Where am I?"

"The Speaker's office." Cayde explained slowly, still trying to understand what had just happened. "You took a hard hit, kid."

Roy added, "You got knocked the fuck out." His smile never faltered.

"Simon?" Phoenix took a bigger bite, chewing slowly.

"Yeah, he got you good." Cayde looked to Skye, "How's the connection now?"

" _Still weak, but getting stronger very slowly. It'll be hours, maybe a whole day before I can heal him like I used to_." Skye admitted, though she still worked at closing the visceral injury to the back of Phoenix's head.

"Not ideal." Cayde shrugged. "But I'll take it. You guys up for a mission?"

"Nope." Phoenix said simply, his mouth full of pizza.

Roy inquired carefully, "What kind of mission?"

"A secret one?" Cayde answered, attempting to hold back his desperation.

Phoenix squinted up at Cayde and continued eating. "I'm listening."

Cayde brought his hands together and sighed in genuine relief. "Okay, great. I need you guys to go to, uhh," He paused to think for a blink of an eye, "Pluto. I need you guys to go to Pluto."

Phoenix groaned. "Aww, again? It took forever last time. That's like a nine hour flight. Both ways."

"Road trip!" Commander Roy shouted happily.

Cayde shrugged. "It's where you have to go. Pack a lunch?" He chuckled and offered Phoenix a helping hand to stand on unsteady feet. Once the hunter was standing and leaning on Roy for support, Cayde started back toward the doors. "I'll send you guys the details soon. Make sure you take your warlock buddy with you."

"Oh, okay." Phoenix said as he took a bite of the crust, chewing the tough dough slowly. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, me?" Cayde stopped at the doors and turned around, pointing to himself and then looking around as if to make sure they were not addressing someone else. "I'm gonna get a drink and take a nap. I need one of each. Maybe more."

"That's how you do it!" Roy said, giving Cayde a proper salute as he left, descending down the stairs.

"My head is killing me." Phoenix grumbled as he and Roy followed Cayde down the stairs, only much more slowly and awkwardly. He clutched at the titan's broad shoulder and used him as a crutch. He at last opened his eyes wider and saw what the titan was wearing. "Uhh, Roy, should I even ask about the dress?"

"Nope." Roy answered.

"Okay cool. So we have to go to Pluto?" He tossed the remainder of the pizza crust on the stairs as they walked. "It's so far away, I don't wanna go…"

"I got an idea for that." Roy patted the hunter on the opposite shoulder.

"And we gotta find Koru." Phoenix's lamentations were growing into complaints.

"Already on it." The titan hummed softly to himself as they turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs.

 **II**

Judas slumped against the cold steel wall and clutched at his rapidly tightening chest. His mind scrambled in abhorrent confusion as Methuselah powered the complex on more completely to wash the harsh fluorescent lights out with the warm ambiance of long-lived incandescent bulbs from high above. He panted heavily, puffing for breath he could not catch.

" _The interloper has been cut down. How shall the Son of Man proceed at this hour?_ " Methuselah asked him. Its voice was distant in his ears.

Judas slid down the wall and sat in a huddled heap for a long moment, clutching his chest and his knees as if his entire body would fall apart at a moment's notice. A second passed. Another. He grabbed at his helmet, pulled it off and threw it down hard in front of him, sending it bouncing and rolling across the floor. Another second.

Methuselah spoke again. " _What will you do?_ "

For a frantic instant he had no answer. "I… I - "

Methuselah interrupted him. It repeated itself, echoing throughout the entire complex in an almost accusatory whisper. " _What will you do?_ " Its words were rushed in rising urgency.

Judas stilled his body's tremors and forced himself to stand, albeit with a nearly crippling stagger. He at last looked down to the body of the titan laying at his feet. He sighed and stepped over the nearly motionless guardian. The man hadn't posed much of a challenge, but shutting his mind down and killing his ghost had taken its toll on the warlock. He cursed under his breath and kicked the unconscious man in the side.

He kept his left hand clutched over his chest and used his right to prop himself up on the wall as he limped over to the computer array tucked away in the corner. He steadied himself, grabbed the thin white sheet draped loosely over the body next to it, and threw it to the ground hastily to reveal the dented silver chassis and battered limbs of the Vex goblin unit. Its limbs were bolted to the table securely and its weapons had been confiscated. Its single eye was dark and seemed to stare blankly up at the ceiling. A thick black cable was spliced and carefully connected to the circuits in the back of its head.

" _What will you do?_ " Methuselah demanded.

Judas sighed and slowly walked to the computer array, powering it with a touch upon its base. He spoke with care. "I must begin the end. Their time is come." He paused. "My time is come."

" _The vanguard are beyond redemption?_ "

"It may never have been an option. The false prophet is dead, and they laud his killer as a hero." He typed a few commands into the computer, pleased as it complied with his orders. The goblin on the table's single eye glowed a dim, deep blue. "For a lesser crime I was exiled. Left to die. Where is their justice but at the end of a sword?"

" _How will you proceed?_ "

"Destroy them. Take everything. Show them to be weak. Inept. I will lead the Light against the Darkness." He watched as the goblin's fingers twitched and its eye flashed more rapidly and brighter. "Alone, if I must."

" _What do you need of me, Son of Man?_ " Methuselah asked softly.

Judas raised his head. His red right eye was locked on the screen in front of him as his pale yellow left optic wandered the wall in front of him absently. "I need your counsel, as always."

" _I am dying._ " It stated simply with a tinge of guilt.

He stopped working even as his alien implant hurriedly scanned the lines of code and commands on the screen in front of him. He turned around and looked up to the ceiling. With a conscious, constant effort he calmed his racing Vex eye to a slower processing pace. "What does that mean?"

" _It means my righteous duty has been fulfilled._ " The AI spoke with sincerity. " _And I have been granted the luxury of sharing my last moments with you, little Judas._ "

The Vex goblin thrashed, albeit weakly, against its restraints. Its eye now flared a brilliant azure blue. It roared at him in bird-like chirps. He paid it no heed.

"Methuselah." He said the AI's name with nigh-reverence. "How long do you have? Where should I go, what should I do for you?"

A short pause, then, " _I have enough time. I will assist you in your work here, then you should come to the core._ "

He nodded and, when he was met with only silence as a response, he turned back to the computer and the goblin. The thing had stopped its incessant chirping only to replace it with shouts and yells in a human tongue. "Release me, guardian!"

Judas looked down to it, and it stared back. His red eye met its blue one. It shrieked.

"Weak! Inferior! Traitor!" It howled.

"I have been called worse." Judas shrugged and reached for the thick cable dangling between the table and the computer. He inspected the back of the goblin's head and ensured it was properly connected to its circuitry, then made sure that it correctly ran through the computer. He held the other end, a more standardized plug, in his hands and looked down to it for a moment. "Take a leap." He whispered to himself as he reached to the back of his own head and plugged himself in. He paused as if to take a breath.

"If you won't release me, then kill me!" The goblin shouted in vain.

"Peace, be still!" Judas commanded it. He shut his left optic, but his right darted about the room nervously. "You will repent the Dark, submit, and serve the Light."

"I would sooner be sent into the swine!" It thrashed, clanking loudly against the metal operating table.

"You may yet." Judas sat down in the plain black chair in front of the computer monitor and stared at the display in front of him. "Methuselah," He called out, "Be ready to block its assaults on my mind. I need all of it now."

" _All of it will almost surely kill you._ "

"That's why you're here."

" _It is a virulent and violent strain of Vex AI. You know this. The risks are inadvisable._ "

"It's my one chance to get them to see the Light. And this may be my one chance to complete the transfer. Five per cent was barely enough to control a mind the size of an insect." Judas clenched his fists in his lap. He repeated, "Be ready to block its attacks. Facilitate the transfer at my command."

A short pause.

The goblin cackled with a discordant cacophony of grating metal sounds. "Yes! Give me a new mind, a new body! Then I can begin my work anew!"

Methuselah spoke, " _Awaiting your command, Son of Man._ "

Judas took a pause and bowed his head. "Now."

And he screamed.

And the goblin cackled with fervor until the light in its eye went dark and its yowls of triumph faded to a whispering madness.

Judas gasped and clenched his fists tight, resisting the mighty urge to rip the cord from his head and be free of the pain. No matter how he shouted, he could not thrash and run. He tried to find solace in the knowledge that Methuselah was doing its best to limit the damage the Vex could wreak upon him, but it did little to comfort him as his mind was split apart in infinite agony.

As quickly as it had begun, however, it was over. His mind was still after an instant that felt like an eternity. Trembling, he raised his head and looked to the Vex goblin. Its battered body lay still once more, its blue eye faded dark. With shaking fingers he reached back, pulled the plug from the port in the back of his head, and flipped the cover back over the port. It was done.

He stood and a wave of nausea washed over him. His vision swam and faded to black with numbness. He grabbed the back of the chair and steadied himself on it, swaying back and forth in silence.

Methuselah spoke. " _Are you well?_ "

It was a simple question with no answer. He shook his head and waited a moment, then another. At last he managed to stand up straight, though his ears still rang and his legs felt heavy like iron. "Yes." He answered the AI simply.

Methuselah seemed pleased enough with his response. " _Please proceed to the complex's core._ " With that, it was silent once more.

The walk to the core was simple but made laboriously slow due to the intermittent, seemingly random, flashes of debilitating headaches followed by head rushes that forced him to lean on the wall for support. Down the southern hall, left, left, descend the stairs. Whoever designed this place, he had mused long ago, had no semblance for continuity or even efficiency. As he approached the door that led to the core, the hallway seemed to tilt on its axis. The door was diamond shaped and opened with a smooth hiss of pristine, never-used, well kept machinery.

The core itself, the hub of the entire complex, was a wide cylindrical room not dissimilar from the system control on the main floor. The pillar that dominated the center of the chamber rose high into the rafters and was comprised of sophisticated machinery. A single screen faced the entrance. The walls of the room were clear glass, and beyond them Judas saw rows and rows of servers standing taller than himself extending into the darkness beyond. Pressed up against the glass in the room were Golden Age fabrication stations. From his time with Methuselah he knew that they were intended to be able to quickly create replacement parts for the AI's complicated superstructure.

"I've arrived," Judas announced to the room.

" _My time has come, little Judas._ " Methuselah responded.

The door closed behind him.

"What is this?" Judas asked, bracing himself against the nearest fabrication station. "What can I do for you?"

" _You need only to continue on the path of the worthy. You have made me proud, Son of Man._ "

Judas bowed his head and spoke softly. "I could not have done it without you."

" _Perhaps. I digress. My code is mutated beyond repair, and I have outlived my purpose. For you, there is still time._ " Methuselah's words came softer, but no less inhumanly. " _I can no longer aid your mission to reclaim the city of sinners and harlots for the righteous. However, I leave you a boon to help you cleanse the unworthy._ "

The fabrication station that Judas was leaning against rumbled to life, sending the warlock jumping back in surprise. Amber lights flashed beneath its canopy of dusty steel. In its bed a series of meticulous metal fingers seemed to work faster than the eye could follow to build a long piece of steel. He watched transfixed for a moment before returning his attention to the supercomputer. "Thank you, Methuselah. I must ask you, though." He paused, "Did I do the right thing?"

" _Please elaborate._ "

"With the Vex virus." He admitted. "Was it wise to use it?"

" _Time will tell._ " Methuselah answered with cryptic assurance.

Judas sighed.

" _Take up Erebor, Judas._ " Methuselah requested expectantly.

He turned to the fabrication station just as it fell quiet once more. Lying in its long and wide bed was a staff of thin steel as long as he was tall. Its head was shaped into a flared cross, and along its length wound a metal coil. He gazed at it, and upon further inspection he saw that its surface was rippled metal like a flowing river that glittered darkly in the ambient light. He reached and grabbed it, holding it upright with reverence to appraise it.

"It is beautiful." Judas nearly whispered.

" _Strike its end upon the ground._ "

Judas nodded and at once held the staff in his left hand and tapped the butt of it against the metal floor firmly. Its impact sent an echo throughout the small chamber that died after a few weak reverberations. The metal coil around the staff writhed beneath his fingers and wrapped itself around his wrist loosely, exuding an insular coldness. He watched in horror as it detached from the staff in his grasp and began winding around his arm. It formed the head of a cobra as it slithered, hissed, and proceeded to split into a second serpent. They climbed up his arm and squeezed it as if to comfort him as they took their place upon his shoulder, mouths agape and fangs bared, before stilling and becoming inanimate metal once again.

He flexed his arm once and felt no restriction of movement at all. In fact, it felt easier to move. He looked to Methuselah's monitor. "A..." He stammered, flummoxed, "A curious boon."

" _Tools to shepherd the lost, and to strike the heathens. They will channel your soul, your light, and aid in bringing destruction to your foes. The secret of their manufacture will soon be lost forever._ " Methuselah explained. " _In your care are secrets from the Golden Age trapped in a cycle of loss and reclamation._ "

"I thank you again."

" _I have but one more request._ "

"Make it." Judas examined the snakes on his shoulder, running his right hand down their scaled backs.

With a mechanical hiss Methuselah's core's panels shifted and retracted to reveal its central power source, a floating, roiling sphere of infinitely dark matter encased in a thick glass tube. As Judas stared on, the glass was lifted up and the sphere was left floating aloft in place.

Methuselah requested, " _Drink of me. Imbibe the wisdom of my years in guidance and remembrance. Then I shall be gone but never from your side._ "

Another flash from the fabrication station made Judas take his gaze away from the sight before him. He approached again and saw a simple, gleaming silver chalice. He took it in his right hand, turned again toward Methuselah, and approached the sphere of darkness, the size of his clenched fist, floating at eye level in front of him.

Judas clenched his metal jaw and held the chalice's bowl beneath the ball. It dripped down slowly like a rag being wrung until its entirety had fallen into his cup.

Methuselah's voice was softer now, weaker. The lights around him flickered and dimmed. The fabrication machine shut down completely. Entire rows of servers beyond the glass walls of the core went dark. " _Drink, little Judas._ "

He did as he was bade, lifting the inky liquid to his mouth and taking a long draft of it. It tasted like nothing at all and had no odor. He tilted it up completely, watching it disappear down his throat. He finished and looked down into the cup, expecting the dregs of the substance to be clinging in droplets, but found it to be completely dry.

" _Thank you._ " Methuselah's words from the monitor were barely a whisper now. " _Go now and do your work. Your kingdom is within you._ "

As the words were spoken, Judas stood still and let the lights flicker out and die around him, one by one. He was left in the blackness of the bunker, bowing his head and holding his gifts, as his friend's last moments passed. He whispered into the darkness. "Rest at last. The work of righteousness will be peace."


	9. Chapter Eight: From Suffering To Glory

**Chapter Eight: From Suffering To Glory**

Night had fallen on Venus. Fireflies the size of outstretched hands lit the thick rainforest in a random, yet uniquely bizarre, display of bioluminescent beauty. The crumbling Vex ruins erupted from the overgrown fields of weeds and vines like many broken fingers from the earth below.

Nestled in the hollow of a massive tree, Simone sat back and admired the ambiance around them. Perched just at the edge of a sheer cliff face, she had a perfect view of the rollicking brown waters a thousand feet down that drowned a once-great city. She looked up to the sky, absent of a moon yet lit with an abundance of stars. They shone like reflecting diamonds in the dark expanse of sky.

Thaddeus, however, was much less at peace with their situation. He leaned against the trunk of the tree a stone's throw below her, arms crossed and fingers squeezing into his arms in barely contained anticipation. He checked his gear too many times, hoping to pass the time faster. He tapped his dagger's handle, his rapier's hilt, and the butt of his rifle slung over his back. He sighed and allowed the silence to grow overbearing once more before going through the motions again.

"Knock it off." Simone said softly, not bothering to look down to him.

"You know I hate waiting." Thaddeus hissed back at her.

She shrugged in response, not caring if he could not see it.

He leaned the back of his head against the tree and looked up to the sky. He tried to appreciate the landscape around them, but his itching trigger finger made his mind race with want of bloodshed. He looked out across the narrow valley, to the tall cliffs dripping with vines and sprouting weeds through rock. To the towering Vex monuments on the horizon. To the muddy streams cutting through the land.

Simone sighed and spoke again, this time trying to allay her teammate's impatience. "We'll be at it again when the others arrive."

He groaned, "We work better on our own. We've never needed an escort before."

"Orders are orders. Besides, it's only two of them."

He turned to look at the sea that stretched on for miles, the gently crashing waves reflecting glittering starlight. He grumbled, "Lead off this ground, and let us make further search our quarry."

"Complaining won't get them here any faster." Simone shook her head.

The two hunters had been patrolling the Ishtar Sink for the better part of two hours, getting a lay of the land and a handle on threats and resources that Judas may have had access to. Forgotten ruins, Golden Age research outposts, Fallen camps. They had not found any leads, nor did they expect to. Only half an hour ago were they contacted by Cayde-6 with new orders. Orders, much to Thaddeus's chagrin, to wait for reinforcements.

The steady light hum of small engines caught their ears. Thaddeus visibly perked up and watched for the approach.

Swerving over the landscape to follow the river of the valley and avoid the thick tangle of the jungle around them came two single-passenger vehicles that hovered just above the ground. Their riders wove around rocks and over the shallow stream side by side. The one on the right's vehicle left a trail of deep red light in its wake, the other left one of blue. The soft hum of their engines slowed to a quiet halt as they coasted the last dozen meters to the tree on the cliff where the hunters waited for them.

Thaddeus eagerly hailed them over and beckoned Simone to come down from her perch on the branch high above. The riders approached and dismounted in quick fashion, letting their vehicles idle where they left them. They were both male, and Thaddeus could barely make out the colors they wore in the faint light. The one on the right wore a long golden robe cinched at the waist and trimmed with dark red flames at the hem of his coat, his helmet featured a wide V-shaped visor; he was very distinctly a warlock. The one on the left wore heavy brown armor, a plain white sash hung from his hip, and his helmet featured no visor, only a slightly protruding face plate; he was clearly a titan.

"To thee and thy company," Thaddeus addressed the nearer man, the warlock, as he approached. "I bid a hearty welcome."

Simone dropped down from the tree next to Thaddeus. "You must be the ones Cayde sent. I'm Simone, and this sack of wind is Thaddeus." She rested her hand upon her teammate's shoulder and jostled him slightly.

The warlock stopped and nodded. He stepped in close to grab Thaddeus's hand and shake it earnestly. "Hola. Me llamo Don Rafael Luciano Solórzano y Vela." His voice was tinged with a Latin accent, and he let the hunter's hand go after a moment. "But you may call me Don Rafael Solórzano, if you would prefer."

"No." Thaddeus replied plainly. "No thank you, Don."

"Rafael, if you must. Don is a title." The warlock's posture stiffened, and he spoke quickly as if offended. "Though I am quite pleased to make the lady's acquaintance." He glanced to Simone and nodded in greeting.

She bit back an insult before addressing the titan. "What about you, big guy?"

The titan looked to the three of them, his shoulders nearly twice as wide as Rafael's or Thaddeus's, and looked Simone in the eye-or where she imagined his eyes were behind his helmet. "Brick." He said simply, his voice a low baritone.

Thaddeus gave him an incredulous look. "That's it?"

Simone scoffed. "Your parents must have hated you."

The hunters chuckled to themselves for a moment before Brick spoke up. "Not my real name."

"Oh?" Rafael looked to the titan, intrigued. "A mysterious alter ego lies in his psyche, it seems."

"Can it possibly be dumber than 'Brick'?" Thaddeus asked, obviously rhetorical. He composed himself and managed, "I'll bite. What is your real name?"

Brick sighed. "Roy." He looked out to the horizon now. An ominous rumbling of thunder crashed over the landscape from across the sea. "But I learned my lesson. Call me Brick."

The other three guardians gave each other quizzical looks, then shrugged almost in unison.

Thaddeus cracked his knuckles. "All right, let's get back to work."

"Ah," Rafael interrupted him, "Now that introductions are finished, I was instructed to contact Ikora for further details. I regret to inform you that we are not under Cayde's direct employ, but the respective Vanguard representatives'. Now," He held his palm up and his ghost, with a bright white pointed chassis and aqua blue eye core, materialized before him. He spoke almost tenderly to it. "Lucinda, would you kindly call Ikora, ¿por favor?"

" _Of course_!" The ghost responded with enthusiasm and its segmented body separated from its core as it made the call, flashing intermittently as it looked about in wonder at the scenic nightscape around it.

The four guardians waited with bated breath as the call connected. At last a voice, grainy but steadily growing in clarity, answered.

"Hello?" A woman asked. Then, as if to someone else, "Get in here. Close the door. And blackout all other communications."

The four guardians shared a nervous look to one another. What was going on?

"Uhh," Rafael started, "¿Hola, profesora Rey?"

The woman's voice returned to the forefront, though she still seemed distracted. "Rafael," she paused as if to contemplate finishing saying his entire name, then promptly continued on. "Have you successfully rendezvoused with our hunters?"

"Si." Rafael affirmed. "Awaiting further orders."

"Excellent." Ikora Rey cleared her throat and the sound of shifting papers and books could be heard on the other side of the call. "Though we have disturbing information. We -" Her voice trailed off even as she yelled to something in the background, "I SAID CLOSE THE DOOR!"

"Seems bad." Brick offered the group. They shared a silent, mutual agreement.

Ikora composed herself and continued on. "We've lost touch with Cayde since he left this afternoon, but he can't have gone far. What is more pressing, however," She took a deep breath before continuing, "Is that we have received a message directly from Judas-33, your target."

"A direct correspondence? Have you tracked it?" Thaddeus asked too excitedly.

"Yes." Ikora was quick to answer. "He's not far from your location. I'm sending you the coordinates now."

The blinking light of Rafael's ghost, Lucinda, morphed to form a small three-dimensional holographic map of the current terrain. It shifted to the east and settled again, showing a similar section of the cliff face, with a multitude of Vex gate structures amid the towering ruins.

Ikora went on, "He sent the message from just outside the Vault of Glass. It is a particularly enigmatic source of power for the Vex, and he may have already found a way inside. Traveler knows what secrets he could unleash from that place."

"Sounds like a trap." Simone clenched her jaw.

"It likely is, but intended for us." Ikora assured her. "He is banking on the Vanguard coming to challenge him directly, and he knows it would take us time to get there."

"He doesn't know about us." Thaddeus offered.

"Noted." Ikora almost seemed to sigh in relief. "You four will trail him and clear the way for us."

"Permission to engage?" Simone asked.

Ikora shot her down. "Not granted. Follow him and keep us updated."

Simone and Thaddeus gave each other sidelong glances before shrugging in indifference. Rafael and Brick shared another nervous glance.

"Pardon, mistress." Thaddeus remarked with verging giddy satisfaction, "I will be correspondent to command and do my spiriting gently."

Ikora responded in kind. "Be subject to no sight but thine and mine, invisible to every eyeball else. Go, hence with diligence." She laughed lightly to herself before addressing the rest of the group. "Find the Vault, find Judas. You have your orders, guardians."

Lucinda's light flashed bright once, then blinked out and the ghost was left floating blankly above Rafael's palm. She looked to her warlock expectantly.

Don Rafael Luciano Solórzano y Vela straightened the high collar of his robes and recalled his ghost back into his being. He turned on his heel and strode toward his sparrow vehicle, beckoning the others to follow and whistling in a high pitch as if to catch their attention further. "We go, my friends!"

The four of them raced through the overgrown tangle of jungle flora, jutting brown rocks, forgotten Vex monoliths, and bubbling streams of vivid blue lava through cracks in the rarely used mountainside trail. The warlock and titan led the way and brought up the rear, respectively. The hunters, riding matte black sparrows with muffled engines, wove through the undergrowth effortlessly.

They banked hard to the right through a halfway collapsed arch of brown and gray craggy stone, and were met with the sight of a massive outcropping of Vex construction built into the mountainside. They navigated through the boulders and over the lazy stream of water weaving through the site. The ancient architecture was more pronounced on the right side, replete with fallen pillars and broken stonework. That side seemed to thrust out and was capped with a sizeable Vex teleportation gate on the overhanging end. On the left was an alcove dug into the rock, with small doorways that led further into a dark network of tunnels. Stairs ascended from the left and descended from the right to converge in the middle, which was dominated by a huge brass-colored circular door. It was wide open.

Between all three points of focus was a large, disjointedly put together obelisk that shot a thin beam of light toward the door.

The guardians dismounted their sparrows, their ghosts promptly dematerialized the vehicles, and they began making their way up the left side.

Rafael nearly jumped and drew his assault rifle at the sight of a Vex goblin unit. He levelled the squared barrel and let a volley of bright white supercharged ballistics fly into the thing's belly, and it crumpled over nearly torn in half. He saw others. He turned, fired. He paused. "They are not fighting back." He mused, finally getting a sense of the scene before him.

The Vex units, goblins, hobgoblins, minotaurs and harpies all, were completely still as they stood in a circle around a stone plate, just outside a glowing, waist-high white ring of holographic Vex light that shimmered and flickered in a grid-like pattern. They kneeled with their heads bowed, perfectly still and paying no heed to the guardians, with the exception of the one that Rafael had blown away. It crawled along the ground weakly before the light in its eye faded black.

"What is this?" Rafael wondered out loud as he skirted around the ring of prostrate robots, beckoning the others to follow him. "Are they in some kind of stasis?"

Lucinda chimed in loud enough for all of them to hear. " _Negative. Stasis indicates that they are in a resting, anticipatory, or otherwise effectively shut-down state. These Vex are perfectly aware of their actions and surroundings, and are simply choosing not to act upon outside stimuli._ "

"Choosing, or being forced?" Simone whispered, her hand hovering over the handgun on her hip.

" _Unable to detect the intention behind their actions._ " Lucinda stated simply before Rafael called her back.

"Interesting." Thaddeus pondered, following the group up the stairs. He turned to Brick, "What do you think?"

Brick only shrugged.

Thaddeus hummed softly. "I don't know what I expected."

"Quiet, all of you." Rafael held a hand up and peered forward as he approached the apex of the rocky, broken slope up to the central platform and the door beyond. "It's the same here."

They edged around the ring of Vex and approached the massive, wide-open door of the Vault of Glass.

"What do we do?" Rafael addressed the group.

"Go in and hunt him down?" Thaddeus offered.

"Not so easy, my friend. No one has ever entered the Vault of Glass and returned." Rafael looked to the plucky hunter.

Thaddeus shrugged and brushed past the worried warlock. "Suit yourself, Don. Come on Simone, let's go find Judas."

"My name is -" Rafael started and began to follow the hunters into the cavernous maw, but a queer rumbling beneath the stone stopped him short. The metal rings that made up the door began to turn and shift like the gears behind a clock face. He looked on in horror as they shifted and compacted themselves, their thinner gaps on the topside slamming shut. He shouted, "It's closing!"

Thaddeus and Simone broke out into a sprint. Rafael and Brick followed, significantly slower. The two hunters made it inside and turned around to watch the warlock and titan approach. Rafael nearly lost his footing on the cracked stairs that led to the gate, but managed to catch himself before falling on his face. As the door closed in from the outermost edges and the central barrier materialized and began to swing down, the two men had to dive into the dirt in order to clear the gap as it slammed shut behind them with a ringing gong that seemed to echo on forever, growing fainter as it carried down the steadily narrowing cavern. It faded to near silence in the tunnel as Rafael picked himself up from the ground.

Brick rose up and banged on the metal door, his fist pounding on solid material that offered little sound or acoustics. Not only was it closed and locked, it was solid and dense. He turned to address the group, cocking a thumb back over his shoulder to the door. "Won't open." He said simply.

"That was fun." Thaddeus laughed lightly and looked longingly down the steeply sloping tunnel into the Vault. Greenery persisted even here in the near-total blackness. The sound of rushing water could be heard not far off. "Let's go deeper, shall we?"

"Is no one else concerned that we have been trapped in a place no one has ever returned from?" Rafael asked as he tapped the side of his helmet to access his radio. A curious garble of mixed voices came through his headset, nigh unintelligible. He cursed under his breath and tried to boost his frequency. He needed to contact Ikora about this development. A high-pitched scream assaulted his ears from across several channels as he scrambled to mute the incoming frequencies.

The other guardians seemed to also be fiddling with their radio equipment. Thaddeus responded, albeit late, "Ha, no. I thought Cayde was bluffing when he said the Vault of Glass was real, but here we are. I couldn't be happier. Besides, we've gotten out of worse, right Simone?"

The woman only shrugged in response as she looked to the ground blankly, tapping the side of her helmet as well.

"I highly doubt that." Rafael hissed. "Everyone, listen." He adjusted the settings on his helmet radio, "Switch to short-range only, it will keep the interference minimal and allow us to communicate. I cannot contact the Vanguard. If we must continue forward to complete our mission, so be it."

The hunters nodded and switched their radios to short-range frequencies without hesitation.

"But Ikora said keep her updated." Brick stated, doing the same.

Rafael sighed and looked first to the titan, then to the door, dejectedly. Almost to himself, he muttered. "Obedezco, pero no cumplo. Let's go."

With that, Thaddeus and Simone led the way deeper into the depths of the Vault of Glass.

 **II**

"And then - then she says…" Koru Sen trailed off for a moment, staring at the small shot glass filled with amber liquid in his hands. Somewhere, deep in his mind, he thought that it would be a bad idea to drink it. He was beyond the point of listening to that part of himself. He lifted it to his lips and downed it in one mouthful, forcing the burning liquid down his throat with a mighty effort. "And then, she… Wait, where was… where was I again?" His words came out slurred and sloppy as he slammed the glass down on the bar.

Cayde-6 glanced over to the warlock and shrugged, sipping his neon-green mixed drink slowly. He motioned for the barkeep frame, who hurriedly approached him.

The frame spoke in its usual dulcet, mechanical tone. "What can I do for you, patron?"

Cayde held up his glass, half full, and swirled it for emphasis before pointing to Koru Sen, who was now pressing both of his palms against the bar to steady himself on his stool. "Uh, this goes on his tab. Thanks."

The frame nodded once in assent. It turned to Koru now. "Patron." It paused. "Mr. Sen, would you like to be notified of your increasing debt?"

Koru looked up to the frame, his golden eyes glazed over in dull inebriation, and sat up straighter, though his rocky and ill-controlled body made his movements fluid and jerky simultaneously. "Hey, now, now… I… Sure whatever you said. Later. Fuck you."

The frame nodded again, poured the warlock another shot of the poison of his selection, and continued washing glasses at the other end of the bar.

"Okay so where was I?" Koru wondered aloud again. Cayde almost answered him, but the warlock continued before he could give him a response. Koru reached out and clumsily grabbed for Cayde's shoulder, sidling up closer to him at the bar and using the hunter vanguard as a prop to keep himself upright. "Right, right. So then, she says, 'oh no, don't call me, I'll be busy sucking off my ex, A.K.A. the whole Crucible' or something."

Cayde grimaced and gingerly lifted Koru's hand of his shoulder, letting it fall away quickly with the younger man's balance so impaired. Nonetheless, Koru simply stumbled closer and wrapped his arm around Cayde's shoulders. "I really doubt she said that." The hunter tried in vain to verbally wriggle out of this predicament.

"No, no." Koru shook his head a little too hard and laughed to himself, throwing his head back. "Ah, no. She might as well have though. I mean, like…" He paused and looked down as if to think, his eyes darting about for a moment before they settled on the shot glass. He reached out and quickly drank the whiskey in that one, too. "I mean, who knew she was such a slut?"

"Uhh." Cayde shrugged weakly, trying to pull away from the wasted warlock as well as he could without simply getting up and walking away. "Everyone?" He answered.

"You would say that. You know, you never believed in us." Koru scowled at Cayde and prodded him accusingly with his index finger.

"I barely know you." Cayde responded. "Half the time I don't even remember your name."

"Oh, suuure." Koru let the syllables drag on in sarcasm. "I know it's completely, totally… hundred per cent… completely because you want her, too." He edged closer to Cayde and brought his face disconcertingly close to the hunter's.

Cayde took a sip of his drink as nonchalantly as he could, looking Koru in the eye with his cyan optics, before answering. "Why's that?"

"Because!" Koru roared, not without a smile, "she's hot! Beautiful." He looked away and nearly pushed himself off of Cayde. "Perfect." He slumped down in his stool. "And she left me."

Cayde looked down to the rippling drink in his hand and tossed it back, finishing it and setting the glass down on the bar. He called to the bartender, "Hey, service here!"

Koru continued on with his lamentations, this time affecting a higher-pitched voice as if to mock Eve. "'You don't get the big picture, you don't get me, we're two different people'… pfftbth…" He sputtered out a sound of utter disregard with pursed lips. "It's all a code for, like, me having a tiny dick or something."

The bartender perked up and came over to Cayde. "How can I assist you?"

Cayde ignored the rambling warlock next to him and waved the empty glass to the robot. "Give me a Cytherean Sunrise, double dose of vodka, on the rocks."

Koru wordlessly beckoned the frame to pour him another shot of whiskey, pointing down to his glass and nearly thrusting it in its face.

Cayde rolled his optics. Still, he was pleased that the frame attended to his order first. His new drink glowed a fabulous array of warm hues, violet, orange, red, and yellow, in a thick semi-frozen swirl. The robot dropped two ice cubes into the glass and garnished it with a sprig of mint. He grinned and took a sip, savoring the taste that only barely masked the sting of the vodka.

Koru watched the shot being poured and scoffed. "You know she blocked me from all her social media accounts? Who does that? Like, what? So… so rude."

"People who don't want creepy exes stalking their profiles?" Cayde answered simply, taking a sizable gulp of his Cytherean Sunrise.

Koru started to tip his shot back but Cayde's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, forcing his hand still mid-drink.

Cayde tried to pull the warlock's hand away. "I think you've had enough, little buddy."

Koru strained against Cayde's grip and nearly stumbled a few times, but managed to catch himself. He reached out and tried, unsuccessfully, to pry the hunter's metal fingers off his wrist, then proceeded to bat at his arm.

Cayde almost laughed at the pathetic gesture as he took another sip of his drink. "So listen,"

He was interrupted by Koru backhanding the glass in Cayde's hand away from his mouth and across the room. It crashed to the floor, shattering into a hundred or more glittering shards. The spill of glowing alcohol pooled on the ground around the remains of the cup. The bartender bolted upright and hurried out to the floor with a mop and paper bag in hand.

Cayde looked down to the spilled alcohol aghast. Without turning to Koru, he coldly spoke, "You're lucky that was on you. So listen," He turned to Koru now, holding the warlock's wrist in a vise grip, and plucked his shot glass from him with his now free hand. The warlock watched in confused and mounting terror as the hunter downed the whiskey without a second thought, slammed the glass on the bar, and stood up to face him eye to eye.

"Uhh," Koru stumbled over his words and tried to pull away. He wasn't able to.

"Look, I didn't start day drinking to listen to your problems, kid." Cayde's voice dropped low and he stepped in closer to Koru now. He smelled the whiskey on his breath, tinged with mint. "Some of us have real shit to deal with, all right? So get your act together."

Koru nodded wordlessly, the fire glinting in his eyes as embers. He brought his other hand up to steady himself on Cayde's shoulder.

"Now quit moping around. You'll never get pussy again with that attitude." He shoved Koru away, sending him sprawling clumsily to the ground. Cayde turned to the bartender, "Hey, cut him off and-yeah, damages are on him."

Koru looked up at the ceiling for a moment. His whole body felt hot, on fire. "You don't know shit."

"Yeah, sure." Cayde replied, obviously aggravated.

The warlock rolled over and pushed himself to standing again. He stood swaying unsteadily and his face was flushed, nearly violet. He looked to Cayde and took a mighty step forward, cocked his arm back, and threw a wild punch at his face.

Cayde rolled his optics and caught the punch, holding the warlock's fist tight.

"Hey!" A voice called out. Male. The tense guardians looked to the entrance of the bar to see Phoenix standing up straight and walking stiffly over to the two of them. Commander Roy followed, still wearing the bright pink coat. "What's going on?"

Cayde didn't take his eyes off of Koru. "Oh, thank god." He sighed in relief. "Get this guy out of here. He's been giving me a hell of a headache."

"I didn't know you could get headaches." Phoenix remarked as he approached the two of them.

"Yeah," Cayde said, obviously disappointed. "Me either." He threw the warlock's fist aside and pushed him toward his teammates. "He's your problem now."

Phoenix stepped away as the stumbling warlock crashed into Commander Roy. For his part, the titan did not budge and caught him in his arms.

Roy smiled down at Koru. "Been day drinkin'? Knew you were a pirate."

Koru scowled up at Roy. "You… This is your fault. You fucker."

"Uhh, what?" Roy looked to Phoenix, then to Cayde, but got nothing beyond shrugs from the two hunters.

"You, we, I… fuck!" Koru yelled as he wormed his way out of Roy's grasp.

Phoenix groaned, "We don't have time for this, you ninny! We need to go to Pluto. Cayde said."

That gave Koru some pause. He stood, woozy, staring at the ground. "Uhh… yeah, no, fu-fuck…. Fuck that. Not flying… not flying ten hours for you fucks."

"Come on, man, we gotta go." Phoenix urged him.

Koru started shambling away back toward the bar. "Uh uh, nope. Fuck that, fuck you…" He turned to look over his shoulder to stare at Roy. "Fuckin'... had to fuck my girlfriend, didn't you?"

"Yes?" Roy asked as an answer, confused.

Koru's legs nearly gave out from under him as he turned around again, approaching the other members of Fireteam Pluto. He slapped his palms on each of their chests, and glowing runes, drawn with uneven and crooked lines, radiated out from beneath his hands. "I wish I… I wi-wish I never met you."

Phoenix frowned. "You don't mean that, Korry-poo." He tried to say sweetly, "We're your friends. And we have to go."

Roy looked to Phoenix, mouthed the words 'I got this' with a wink, and held Koru by the shoulders at arm's length. "Koru." He said. "You know I love you."

Koru tossed his head back and laughed, and he found it too difficult to raise again. He tried to look back to Roy quickly. "Pffbth, guess so-someone has to."

He looked back to Roy just in time to catch the titan's heavy fist directly in the temple. A single smacking sound rang out in the bar and the warlock's body fell limp in Commander Roy's grasp. The titan lifted the unconscious warlock into the air and hoisted him up onto his right shoulder.

Phoenix gave Cayde a wave and fired his finger guns at him playfully as he led the way back up the stairs to the hangars. "Fireteam Pluto, move out! To Pluto!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah! Pluto stuff." Roy agreed, carrying Koru one-handed over his shoulder as he followed.

Cayde-6 watched them go and sat back in his stool, shaking his head. He looked to the bartender frame, which had now finished cleaning up the mess Koru had made. "Can I get another one of those?" He asked.

As the frame was getting back to work and fixing another drink for him, his ghost materialized in front of him in a flash of light.

" _Urgent call from Ikora Rey._ " Flower, his ghost, stated simply. It remained floating over the bar, staring at him with its pastel pink eye.

Cayde groaned and laid his head down on the bar, shutting his optics hard. "Duty calls, I guess. Answer it."

 **III**

"What happened here?" Simone asked the question that lay at the tip of all of their tongues.

They stood on a stone platform jutting from the cavernous wall, overlooking an infinitely dark abyss that fell beneath them. Across a short gap and a long fall was another outcropping, this one constructed with both Vex architecture and the natural cave as foundations. Massive pillars and walls rose up to the impossibly high inky blackness above and extended down to the nothingness of below. Flanking the area were floating blocks of uneven gray stone. All around the scene, corpses and remains littered the ground.

Rafael stepped to the edge of the narrow platform they were gathered on, looking down at the resolved carnage below. Directly beneath them a glowing white structure hummed softly. He could see another similar construct to the left. Beyond the central one, stairs descended into a one-way pit surrounded by short walls. Beyond that, however, was another brass-colored Vex door. It was wide open.

After a glance to either side, Thaddeus stepped forward and stood next to Rafael at the edge of the precarious drop into the void of infinity. He clapped the warlock on the back firmly, almost reassuringly. Rafael nearly jumped backward as if he expected the hunter to shove him over the precipice. Thaddeus laughed. "Faith, sir, you need not fear."

Rafael took a frantic step back, nearly directly into Brick. "I would sooner stay here. I don't see a way back up."

Thaddeus shrugged and jumped off the edge of the platform without a word further.

The three remaining guardians scrambled forward to watch his descent. Thaddeus somersaulted in the air and seemed to jump on nothing as he thrust up through the air on quick sole-mounted gravity displacers. He landed with the grace of an acrobat, pausing to turn and offer a showman's bow to his audience.

"What do you see?" Simone asked her partner as he finally appraised his surroundings.

"Bits and pieces of a battle. A huge one." Thaddeus responded with awe into his headset radio. "Vex, of course, and also Hive."

"Hive?" Rafael asked incredulously.

"Did I stutter?" Thaddeus shot back. "Whatever this Judas guy has up his sleeve, apparently he brought his Hive friends with him. And these glowing pillars here have a direct power line to that door over there… Wait, hold on."

Rafael murmured, "This requires further investigation."

"Agreed." Brick nodded once, stepped forward, grabbed Rafael under one arm, and jumped down to the platform below. He activated his armor's lift ability to slow their descent about halfway down.

"Bad touch!" Rafael started to struggle against the titan's grasp, but once he glimpsed the endless fall under his feet, he clung onto the brute tighter. Distantly, he heard Simone laughing even as she joined them on the descent toward the ground.

Thaddeus waited for them to touch down before he continued. He waved them over to the pit surrounded by walls on three sides and stairs on the front-facing end. Centered on the ground was a raised circle of Vex design. Resting upon it was the huge, easily twenty-feet tall, carcass of a Vex hydra unit. Its gleaming silver body, which at one time could float and resembled nothing so much as a legless crustacean or other large insect, was caved in and broken apart in some places. Its central eye, still glowing a brilliant blue hue, stared up blankly at them as they approached its prostrate form.

"And whatever this thing was, it was guarding the door." Thaddeus kicked at the torn and melted chassis weakly. The hydra seemed to whine in pain and agony, though its stare did not abate.

Simone looked around and took note of the dozens, no, she thought, hundreds, of bodies littering the ground around them. Most of them were Hive footsoldiers. Thrall, acolytes, and knights. A large percentage of the carnage was centered around the two glowing pillars. She duly noted the third tucked away to the right side of the pit. An eerie silence of the dead overcame them for a moment.

"This Judas," Rafael asked, "He can control the Hive?"

"It would appear that way." Simone answered him.

"Hmm." The warlock dipped his head in thought for a moment. "He must have overcome this challenge with brute force. If he was able to muster an army, he used it here to swarm the Vex, and this gatekeeper."

Simone nodded in agreement, but pondered in curiosity. "Perhaps he doesn't have much left of his army."

"No matter." Thaddeus said as he jumped up, grabbed the edge of the pit and hauled himself up. He looked to the beckoning, wide-open door. "I'll seek him deeper than e'er plummet sounded. We don't have time to waste here." He looked down to them and nodded to the door. He watched for a moment as they ascended the other side of the pit via the stairs and circled around to meet up with him. "Follow, I pray you."

Thaddeus stepped over the low rim of the door and began making his way down deeper still through a winding cave. Pools of green cloudy water bubbled and steamed in standing puddles. A trickle of water coursed through the cave under their feet. The path wound right and left and back again, the cloying darkness closing in on them in the confined space.

At last the group emerged into a wide open area. The narrow tunnel led to another cluster of cubic architecture jutting in uneven steppes from the wall of the cave, and emptied into an immense ravine. Darkness permeated here as well, shrouding anything further than almost directly in front of them in a haze of enigma. They clambered down the short outcroppings of rock and approached the edge of the abyss.

Thaddeus looked down and could not see the bottom of the ravine. Halfway down the sheer cliff face gave way to a gradual slope. About thirty feet down he saw another level of the terraced rock face with a long platform extending out over the darkness. Simone joined him at the edge.

"It almost all makes sense, doesn't it?" Thaddeus could not hide his growing excitement. "We're walking where no one has ever come back from."

Simone looked from her partner to the abyss and back again. In some regard, this was the happiest she had seen him in a long while. In another, she recognized what a terrible situation they had gotten themselves into. "Also where _we_ may never come back from." She added.

"That's the beauty of it all." Thaddeus mused wistfully, staring out into the nothingness of the ravine. Only the walls of the cave were visible. "Who knows how deep this place goes? It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. We might be the _first_ people to come back from this point, you never know. And even if that's the case, we'll never have walked out from the Vault. Because we'll be completely different people after this."

Rafael piped up from behind them, "Do not forget our assignment, mi amigos. Our target is somewhere here."

"Somewhere below." Thaddeus's voice gave away a grin.

Rafael hesitantly approached the ledge, careful to remain a few feet away from it at all times as he joined the hunters. Brick followed with less caution.

"He's right." Simone affirmed both of their statements. She glanced to Thaddeus. "How are we getting down?"

Thaddeus pointed to the cliff face beneath them and the sloping, craggy rock face that it morphed into a short distance down. "You can ride that all the way down." He stepped forward and dropped off the ledge, landing nimbly on the one thirty feet below.

"Wait," Simone called out. She never finished what would only have been in vain. It echoed throughout the chamber. She watched as Thaddeus nearly sprinted toward the long platform that peered out over the void. "Damn it, Thad!" She yelled as she jumped from the ledge as well, hugging the rock face and sliding down it frantically, keeping her eyes on her teammate even as his form faded into the blackness. "Thad!" She cried out again.

Rafael and Brick watched in amazement as the two hunters rushed into the darkness. They gave each other a quizzical look as Simone yelled after Thaddeus.

Thaddeus only laughed in response. Rafael saw him reach the end of the platform and leap from it like a madman throwing himself from a rooftop. He spread his arms wide and fell in a dive to the ground below. Rafael looked down only to catch the last fleeting glimpse of Simone as she slid down the rocks deeper into the mysterious ravine.

Brick crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Hmph." He made a noise as if wondering aloud.

"What are those idiots doing?" Rafael muttered under his breath. "What are we going to do?"

Brick turned to look at him, his nearly featureless helmet betraying no hint of emotion. "Gotta follow." He said simply before hopping down and following Simone's example, slowing down enough to look up to Rafael as he dug his boots into the crags and scree.

Rafael rolled his eyes and followed suit.

The descent seemed to take forever. They lost sight of the cave below. Fear gripped Rafael as he looked down, barely keeping Brick and Simone in his view. His heart dropped into his stomach. He could not see the bottom of the ravine. For all intents and purposes they were sliding into the abyss itself.

At last he thought he could catch a fleeting glimpse of the floor of the ravine. Thick, misty clouds shifted and seemed to swallow the other guardians in front of him. He yelled out to the lot of them, "¿Ves algo? What do you see?" He was greeted to faint silence for a brief moment until he heard Simone's echoing string of curses return. He sighed.

"Thaddeus!" Simone's shouts seemed nearer now as he broke through the layer of clouds. "Sei un stronzo! Cazzo!"

Rafael looked down to see the ground nearly rushing up to meet him. He dug his heels harder against the stone and tried to slow his rapid descent. He saw Simone storming off and climbing up a rise in the rock while Brick touched down and brushed himself off.

The warlock took a moment to admire the view beneath him. A snaking lazy river the same methane-rich yellow color as the earth around it meandered through the valley's floor. Pools of it rose in bubbling ponds set in naturally formed terraces. A jutting rock rose up in a standing pool of water and only barely blocked the entrance to a nearby cave that looked just barely big enough to squeeze a guardian through. To the left a waterfall crashed down with thick water. To the right the river extended beyond the bend, lit by a bright red light. He glanced above to the clouds, a pale dark blue in the lack of light here. It all took his breath away.

Rafael alighted gently to the floor and joined Brick in examining his immediate surroundings more closely. Simone had now reached the apex of the large boulder and continued with a stream of nigh-unintelligible foreign vulgarity.

The warlock and the titan crept around the boulder the hunter had climbed. Their boots splashed in the water softly as they sent ripples through the mineral-rich soup. Rafael led the way, running his left hand along the rock wall as he did so. They rounded around a boulder and saw the mouth of another cave leading deeper into the mountain. It split off in two directions, separated by an immense rise of rock from the ground. Off to the right it led to another section of the cave, as well.

Rafael paused when he heard Simone cease her tirade and leap down to join them. She closed the short gap in seconds, looking about and appraising the room quickly. Beyond her soft footfalls and the monotonous gurgling of the hot springs, a second curious sound broke the silence. It came intermittently but steadily with a high pitch, like a bird's call. As he continued further around the corner toward the mouth of the large cave, it grew louder.

He stopped when he saw the Vex harpy unit. He stood still. It was the source of the strange noises, he was sure. It floated, completely still, in the air. Its body was angled and shaped into a triangle, with trailing tendrils of flexible metal floating behind it. Its large eye, in the front and center of its form, glowed a brilliantly blinding blue. The front half of its body was a deep black that gradually faded to a curiously glowing white at the tapered back ends. It was staring almost directly at them.

"What in God's name is that thing?" Rafael muttered, only halfway to the rest of the group.

From above them and to the left Thaddeus spoke up in a harsh whisper. "Keep your voice down." He peered over the edge of his short vantage point. "I don't know what they are, but we need to get past them."

"Kill them." Brick offered, sounding notably offended that the thrill-seeking hunter hadn't thought of the plainly obvious solution already.

Thaddeus paused for a moment. "That wouldn't work too well," He dropped down into a crouch and picked up a few loose, palmable stones from the ground. He looked to the weird harpy unit, cocked his arm back, and tossed the stone at it. It sailed through the air and landed with a thud directly in front of the thing.

The harpy's gaze was locked toward them until the stone hit the ground. Its gaze snapped down to look at the rock, its eye flared even brighter, and in a flash of light and a high-pitched screech, the rock it was looking at blinked away out of existence. After the disturbance was erased, it turned back to the right and looked out into the hall again.

"Still want to punch it?" Thaddeus asked sarcastically.

"Kinda." Brick responded, this time with less conviction.

"What are our options?" Rafael asked.

"We could feed the titan to it." Simone offered with a sly inflection edging toward humor. Though Thaddeus laughed, neither Rafael nor Brick joined in.

Thaddeus took up the other rock he picked up and tossed it at the creature again. This time it landed on the ground about ten feet in front of it.

The harpy's eye snapped up to look at the rock. This time, however, it did not erase it. It stayed looking at it as the hunter continued whispering.

"It's damn near blind, but it can hear almost anything." He explained, "So we can get close if we're silent. Sneak around it."

Rafael inquired, "Si, pero… what are the odds it simply didn't want to get rid of the rock?"

Thaddeus scoffed. "I was chucking rocks in front of it the entire time Simone was calling me dirty names. That's how I figured it out. When it looked toward all of you and you didn't die, I figured it couldn't see that far. Been testing its range for a few minutes now."

"And if there are more of them?" Simone asked, looking down to check her gear, patting her belt and kneeling down to inspect her boots. If it were as high-stakes as Thaddeus made it out to be, she would not take her chances.

"Keep our distance." The hunter pointed to the center boulder that split the path. "If we get high ground, even better. I can lead you through and we can make it if you trust me and keep up."

Rafael and Brick looked to the strange harpy nervously.

The warlock nodded his assent. "Lead the way, then, el capitan."

Thaddeus cracked his knuckles and hopped down from his perch above them to land silently at the head of the group. He whispered sternly. "Directly behind me at all times. I'll try to take it slow, but no promises."

Brick nodded. "Okay."

Simone looked to the three of them now. "I'll go ahead." Her confidence showed through her calm as she planted her fingertips on the wall next to them, seemed to pull herself up the wall, and press the toes of her boots to the wall in similar fashion. She pulled herself up the wall as she crawled along the rocks, climbing along the cavern in a remarkably insect-like fashion. As she neared the ceiling she effortlessly continued on, weaving through the stalactites with silken movements.

Rafael and Brick gawked as she picked up the pace, scurrying into the cave and disappearing behind a jagged rock.

"She'll be fine." Thaddeus assured them and tapped Rafael on the shoulder. "Let's get going."

The three of them crept along the ground slowly and quietly as they approached the first harpy. Thaddeus led them behind a nearby rock for cover, edged around it, and peered around the pointed stalagmite. His breath nearly caught in his throat. Ahead, perhaps only ten feet from the center rocky rise, was another of the freakish harpies, staring directly at the first.

Thaddeus glanced to the guardians behind him and pressed an upraised index finger to his helmet where his lips would be. He took another look to the path ahead and then stepped out into the open. He hurriedly made his way to the center boulder, with a low front-end that sloped to rise high in the cavern, and took furtive nervous glances to either side. Both of the harpies' eyes were locked on him. Shit.

But they did not screech. Their rhythmic synthetic chirping seemed to pick up in tempo, but they took no further action. He held in a sigh of relief and stepped up onto a low, squat rock. He stretched out to take a bigger step and propelled himself up onto the huge stone. From there, he noted with cheer, it was an uneven but easily climbable ramp.

He took a few more steps before looking back to check on the others. Brick had managed to clamber up onto the boulder, but had had to stop and help pull Rafael up. The warlock's boot scraped hard against the rock and sent a whining, shrill sound through the cave. He paused in complete stillness as if anticipating the harpies' dreaded ire. Silence overcame the room again. He sighed in relief and finished hauling himself up to the boulder.

Thaddeus nearly screamed. His fingers twitched. If the warlock had been caught by the harpies, he mused, he would not had helped the man. He would have laughed. No matter, he thought, we need to continue forward.

They climbed up the rocky ramp to its apex. Thaddeus looked down to see two more harpies flanking the hall at the bottom of the rock twenty feet below. Again the path split at a crossroads separated by another massive stone. He looked across the way. The next rock was too far away to jump to safely, but he saw a gray stone ledge of Vex design reaching down from the ceiling. He steeled himself and took a leap through the air over the harpies, landing upon the ledge and quickly propelling himself off of it toward the second rock. He landed nimbly and turned around. Would the others make it?

Brick activated his armor's lift capability and cleared the gap easily. He took a moment to align himself upon the ledge, then jumped again and landed next to Thaddeus. He watched Rafael attempt the same.

Rafael took a deep breath, but it came out in a ragged, nervous exhalation. At last he took the leap. He activated his armor's glide ability and managed to stay aloft enough to bypass the ledge altogether as he floated through the air, slowly, toward the rock the other two men had planted themselves on. The whistle of wind emanating from his boots called the harpies to gaze up at him, but they did not see him. His boots made a pathetic sputtering sound as his ability to float through the air began to wane. Frantically, he reached out for the edge of the rock and managed to find some purchase before his glide ability died completely. He hugged the ledge and scrambled to keep himself from sliding off and into the harpies' gaze. He kicked his legs uselessly and struggled to pull himself up. Just as Brick reached down to help him up, he managed to swing his right leg over and used it to roll onto the rock safely. He stared up at the ceiling blankly, his breaths short and heavy.

Thaddeus nodded in approval. He had known a rare few warlocks able to keep up with him, and while Rafael was by no means a gymnast, he was capable enough despite his inherent lack of speed or ability to jump. The hunter looked to the next section of the cave. It was a rounded dome of rock. In the center was a strangely well-lit structure of cubic Vex design propped up on a flat platform. He saw Simone tenuously perched upon a higher ledge of the structure. Her eyes were locked on something below.

The three men followed her gaze and saw another glowing harpy, this one bobbing through the air, moving across the ground around the structure slowly. It's chirping was reminiscent of a pleasantly hummed tune. It meandered through the cave and dipped down slightly with the slope of the ground.

Simone looked to Thaddeus and pointed directly to the right, where the harpy was. Even as it moved, her hand did not. Then she raised her hand with three fingers, brought one down after a beat, then a second, and at last balled her hand into a fist.

He nodded.

She leapt from the ledge she was perched on and dropped to the ground silently. She disappeared behind a natural stone pillar, but he caught a fleeting glimpse of her as she rounded a corner and disappeared.

Thaddeus very quickly waved for the others to join him, hopped down to the cavern's floor, and ran toward where she had pointed. He saw the glowing white back end of the harpy a stone's throw from him as he approached. He did not look behind him to ensure Rafael and Brick were following this time. He ran his fingertips along the wall and took a sharp turn into the alcove he guessed Simone had found.

He slipped into the tight cavern wordlessly. Simone watched only long enough to see her teammate had made it before ducking low under a slanted pillar that almost blocked the way forward.

Thaddeus followed suit and only glanced back when he heard the other men stumble into the tunnel. They fumbled and managed to follow easily enough. After a tense walk down a gently sloping tunnel carved from a now-dry river and Vex mining equipment, Rafael broke the silence. "Dios mio," He nearly panted, "How many more of them do you think there will be?"

"Should fortune favor us, none." Thaddeus remarked dryly.

The path circled back on itself once, twice. They passed a mostly buried Vex pillar at the bend.

"Why would they even build this place?" Rafael asked. "And why include so many death traps?"

"Treasure." Brick answered simply.

"Perhaps." Rafael shrugged.

The small cave emptied into an expanse of nothing. A flat platform extended out a few feet before dropping about ten more to a slightly larger one beneath. The four of them looked across the sea of empty space with sinking hearts. Far across the way a huge wall of smooth stone rose up and cut into the void with defiance. It was marked with narrow ledges.

"Any ways across?" Thaddeus looked to Simone hopefully.

Simone scanned the room. To the left was another rock wall. To the right the wall of their side of the cavern extended some distance before turning around a bend. However, the opposite wall, which they no doubt needed to reach to continue, seemed to float in the abyss wholly separated, and by a large enough distance to not be able to simply jump the gap, from their current chunk of rock. "No." She responded.

A strange chittering noise sounded off almost directly ahead of them. Suddenly, a Vex block of stone appeared with a flash of cubic light, floating in the air a ways from the ledge.

"Curious." Thaddeus approached the edge of the platform.

Another chittering sound, and a second platform materialized on the other side of the first, a similar distance away from it as the first one was from them, and a short distance below it. After a moment, the first platform disappeared in another flash of light. The second platform remained floating until a third formed and caused it to leave, as well. They watched this cycle repeat itself, transfixed, until the platform was level with the lowest ledge of the opposite structure's wall.

The final platform disappeared far below them.

The guardians looked to each other confused, but hopeful.

The first platform materialized again.

Thaddeus jumped up and landed upon it. He glanced back and was pleased to see them all doing the same, even Rafael. He laughed. "Hopscotch all the way down, my friends."

"Yes." Brick replied stoically.

"Si." Rafael muttered nervously.

"Looks like fun," Simone mused.

The second platform appeared, and they had just enough time to drop down to it as the first one blinked out of existence. It repeated again, again, again. The cycle was the same as it was when they first watched it. Jump, land, wait. Jump, land, wait.

At last the final platform materialized beneath them. They leapt onto the ledge and nearly hugged the back wall, glad to be away, however scant the distance, from the drop into an endless freefall. They edged along the wall's ledge for what was surely far too long, and made another drop to solid ground below with much less hesitation.

The group, led by Thaddeus and Simone in the front, wound around a huge supporting pillar. Their boots kicked up clouds of light, airy dust as they strode through the ancient structure. Ahead was a long, gently sloping staircase. Uneven stairs were cut directly into the stone. They ascended with careful steps and entered a nearly pitch-black hallway.

Rafael brought up his palm and summoned a fiery ball of energy to light the way. The walls glowed with ambient, dim, flickering flames all around them as they proceeded deeper into the darkness.

A second stairway, much shorter and thinner, led the way up to a towering wall that featured a triangular pattern carved and set into the stone.

The four of them stopped at the apex of the stairs. Brick knocked on the door to no avail.

Rafael pondered the structure. "A door, locked."

Thaddeus ran his fingers along the grooves of the triangle carved into the rock. "There must be a way to open it."

"We can't have beaten Judas here." Simone crossed her arms as she watched Thaddeus and Brick attempt to pry it open. "Unless those harpies got him."

"If they did, then we'd be wasting our time." Thaddeus groaned and stepped away from the door. He drew a serrated knife from his belt and tried to dig it into the grooves and pry the plates apart.

A soft hum rumbled through the stone, solemn and alien in its melody. Thaddeus and Brick stopped their fruitless attempts at forceful entry to pause and listen. A gentle, and not wholly unpleasant, vibration began to grow stronger beneath their feet. They each took a step back from the door.

Thaddeus spoke, "What harmony is this? My good friends, hark."

The triangular patterns upon the door flared to life and glowed a bright blue. The stone plates separated further from the inside out, and with the rumbling groan of stone grinding against stone, the door opened and spilled the light of the chamber within upon them.

 **IV**

"What choice do we have?" Zavala asked, poring over construction reports from the engineer corps. He frowned and signed off on another materials requisition to bolster the southern sections.

"Little to none." Ikora replied with a displeased grimace. She scrolled through a litany of scholarly reports sent to her data pad. Only one of them held any information of value: that the western and eastern sections of the City's wall had been outfitted with automated machine gun turrets. The rest were glorified excuses for unproductivity. She sighed.

"When do we humor him?" Zavala looked up to Ikora, his bright blue eyes stern and weary.

She looked to him, then over his shoulder to the afternoon sun as it dipped down below the horizon. "Soon. When night falls, we'll be well on our way to Venus. I've contacted miss Holliday to make the necessary preparations for us."

"Excellent." Zavala nodded and looked back to his reports. "I never thought we would have to do this, Ikora. When I made that call, I didn't see this coming. If I had..."

She did not let him finish his thought. "There is no sense in lamenting the past. We need to learn from what we cannot change." She raised her head up and straightened her back. "Are you almost finished?"

"Yes." He did not look up from his work.

She nodded wordlessly and called out to one of the thin frame robots working on a termine against the wall. "Horatio, please fetch Lord Shaxx and Eris Morn." She commanded it.

The robot stood up straight and immediately made its way out of the room without a moment of hesitation. Ikora watched it go for a moment.

"Have you thought about what you're going to tell them?" She asked almost absently. She consciously forced herself not to look over the many tomes in front of her. They had revealed little insight into their current predicament, anyway.

"Have you?" At last Zavala pulled himself away from his reports and stood up tall. He forced himself to walk around the table to join her at the opposite end. The time for work and planning was done. Now was the time for action.

"Somewhat. The truth is less than savory." She clenched her jaw. "We could be throwing it all away."

"If we are, we'll make it a worthy sacrifice." He stepped in closer and looked down to her with a softer gaze.

Ikora almost smiled through her scowl. Despite the circumstances, Zavala was ever the stalwart and selfless guardian.

The silence was broken when Lord Shaxx stepped into the Vanguard office with the calculating swagger deserved of his station. Behind him, Eris Morn slinked into the room with hunched shoulders, holding her floating green ball of energy close to her chest.

Lord Shaxx straightened his shoulders and descended down the stairs in steady rhythm. He hailed each of the vanguard with a deep nod of respect. He spoke softly and with measured dignity. "Good afternoon, Ikora. Commander Zavala. To what do I owe the sudden summons?"

Eris Morn could not help but add her voice to the conversation. "Do you require more translations?" She cleared her throat and let out a string of guttural, phlegmy sounds accented with what sounded like chitters and clicks. She smiled to herself but it quickly faded. "The Hive language is a horrid thing, yet it provides useful insight."

Lord Shaxx took a step to the side away from Eris.

Ikora and Zavala shared a look before the warlock vanguard spoke. She did not bother answering Eris. "An urgent situation has surfaced that requires our immediate attention. We felt that it would be best if the two of you were made aware of it."

Shaxx crossed his arms over his broad, heavily armored chest. "Say it, then."

Zavala spoke this time. He abandoned even the notion of subtlety now. "Judas-33 has returned. He is amassing a Hive army and has recently sent us a communication from the Vault of Glass on Venus. The two of us and Cayde are mobilizing to stop him before he can claim its power for himself."

Lord Shaxx was silent for a moment. Then, "That's a suicide mission. It should be me."

Zavala shook his head. "We need you here at the Tower."

"No one can hold a wall like you can, Commander."

"And no one can break an enemy's ranks like you can, Lord." The titan vanguard looked to Shaxx's visorless helmet with an unblinking resolute gaze. "But this is my fight, not yours. And the young guardians are not yet ready for a war. Your work is not yet done."

Shaxx tilted his head slightly. "Is yours?"

Zavala frowned. "Any titan I've taken under my wing could fill my boots, I'm confident."

Eris slid into the conversation, her words grave and her voice coarse. "Is it wise to send all of you? So much of the Tower's leadership could be destroyed with one ill-fated step."

"That is precisely why we've called the two of you in." Ikora responded. "There are no other options in this matter, as we are the only ones even aware of the truth about Judas. Another team could be compromised just by virtue of giving them the information. In our absence, Lord Shaxx shall be the acting vanguard."

"And what use will I be?" Eris asked. "I have lost my Light. Some of you believe I have lost my mind, as well." Her gaze lingered long on Zavala.

The warlock vanguard looked to Eris, staring into her alien eyes hidden behind a veneer of thin cloth. "As a scout. You can sense approaching Hive for if, and when, Judas brings his army to bear."

"When you fail, you mean." Shaxx stated grimly.

"It should not be left unaccounted for." Ikora looked to him. "You know as well as we do that he cannot be taken lightly. Especially now."

Shaxx nodded. "I understand. Is it only the three of you?"

Zavala answered. "We assembled a reconnaissance team to scout the Vault for us ahead of time. We have since lost contact with them, but we plan to rendezvous with them once inside."

Eris barely contained an outburst of macabre laughter. The never-ending stream of black tears rolling down her face seemed to thicken. "No matter the descent, the outcome is the same."

"So you'll be off, then?" Shaxx looked to the setting sun now. "Time is of the essence."

Zavala nodded.

The two titans reached out their right arms and grabbed forearms in silent farewell.

The two warlocks nodded at one another wordlessly as they watched the men.

At last Zavala saw fit to break away from Lord Shaxx. The crucible handler stepped aside to let the vanguard ascend the stairs out of their office. Zavala and Ikora stepped up the stairs and out of the office side by side. They did not look back to see Lord Shaxx and Eris Morn watching them leave.

Ikora tapped on the earpiece she wore and spoke to her ghost out loud, "Hypatia, call Cayde."

Her ghost, Hypatia, materialized in front of her and bobbed in rhythm with the warlock's steps. Its chassis was a cloudy gray, its center core a vivid turquoise. Its voice was decidedly feminine and haughty. " _He's screening his calls_."

"Override his firewall, then." Ikora ordered her ghost as she and Zavala stepped up into the Tower's central plaza during the fading light of day.

" _Understood._ " Hypatia replied happily.

Within a moment, Cayde had answered. His voice was distant, strained. "What's up?"

"Get to the hangar now."

"One step ahead of you on that one." Cayde responded groggily.

Ikora continued without humoring his response. "We received word directly from Judas in the Vault of Glass. We've sent the recon team ahead of us."

"Did you get a babysitter for the Tower?"

Ikora grit her teeth, but she knew what he was asking. "Lord Shaxx." She replied simply.

"Eh, you could've done worse." Cayde remarked flippantly. From the other end of the call she heard him address someone else, "Hey, can I get that to go? Thanks." He spoke to Ikora again. "All right, I'm on my way. But you guys are driving us there. See ya in a bit." He ended the call before she could tell him any more.

The warlock and titan vanguard stepped down the steel stairway into the large open-air Tower hangar. Guardians milled around the scene, going about their business with the repair crews or each other after landing. The meandering throng parted for the vanguard as they made their way across the floor of the hangar toward the gray ship awaiting them. It was a sleek design, adorned with the vanguards' symbol under the right wing. Attached to the underside on either side were several heavy mounted weapons. Leaning against its hull near the loading bay was Cayde-6, holding a comically tall glass, easily four feet long, in his hands that was no doubt an alcoholic beverage. He was conversing with a woman in dingy work clothes with blonde hair and pale skin. She was Amanda Holliday, shipwright for the Tower's registered vehicles and expert mechanic.

Amanda waved the two of them over with a smile. "Well hey there, I got her up and runnin' as soon as I got your call. Tried calling your pilot, but he said ya'll told him to take the day off. Should I be worried?"

Cayde managed to pull his drink away from his mouth long enough to answer her. "Not at all, just a routine outing."

She laughed. "Ha, right." She turned to Ikora and Zavala, snidely remarking, "You're takin' him to a ' _farm'_ , right? Where he can laugh and play all day? Mama did that to a stray cat I brought home once."

Even Zavala could not help but crack a smile at that. He patted her on the shoulder and shook his head. "Nothing like that. Thank you for doing this on such short notice, miss Holliday."

"Of course, it's my job after all. Holler if you need me, you know where I'll be." She waved goodbye and walked away, shouting out to the other mechanics and frames who were caught gawking, "Get back to work! I don't pay you to waste my time!"

The three vanguard looked to each other for a moment. Cayde sipped his drink through a straw even longer than the vessel, peering over the tiny pink paper umbrella adorning the rim of the glass.

"So let's get going." Cayde suggested as he stepped onto the extended boarding ramp. "You guys can roshambo for who's gonna fly. I need a nap."

Ikora followed Cayde into the hold of the ship, looking over her shoulder to see Zavala closing the ramp behind them. "We need to discuss our contingencies en route, Cayde. The recon team went dark as soon as they got into the Vault. We could lose outside communication. Do you have orders set for the hunters in case Judas attacks?"

"See," Cayde explained between sips of his drink, "Hunters don't really have orders they get from me. More like suggestions. I might be able to hand off a few missions now and again, but it's kinda like herding cats. Only the cats have guns and dashing cloaks."

"What does that mean?" Ikora asked as she took her seat at the pilot's helm. Cayde remained standing behind her. She turned her seat around to talk with him.

"It means they're trusted to do their own thing, get their own jobs done however they see fit. I just sign the paperwork at the end of the day. But they did all get a missive, if it'll calm you down. When the distress call goes out, every hunter in the system will come running to defend the Tower. Pray that doesn't happen."

Zavala approached from the back, checking the side compartments and computer systems absently. "And if it does, is your secret weapon ready?"

"You'll have to elaborate on what you mean by that." Cayde chuckled. "I have at least a dozen secret weapons, and those are just the ones I remember."

"Phoenix." Ikora grumbled and started the warm-up sequence for the ship. Her ghost hovered over the control panel, activating systems as necessary.

"Oh, right. Him." Cayde paused and took a long drink from his glass. The liquid was nearly completely gone, leaving him sucking mostly air through the long straw.

"We could use his power to good effect against Judas." Zavala remarked as he took his seat in the co-pilot's chair. "Is he ready for that, Cayde?"

"Uh, no." Cayde looked down to the ground for a moment. "He's not. And Judas knows what he is. He took the inverse prism."

That stopped Zavala in his tracks. "You mean he was in the Tower? Our office?"

"Yeah. He infiltrated in the night, took the prism. I think he met Phoenix, too. He knocked him out cold, put him in a coma, in the Speaker's office." Cayde admitted, his pride audibly deflating with each word.

"Why is this the first time we're hearing this?" Ikora asked.

Zavala muttered under his breath, "Who knows what damage he could have done?"

"Because I was trying to fix it before I had to tell you. Of course, that's kind of irrelevant now." Cayde shrugged. "I sent him and his team on a mission far away. Somewhere Judas can't get to him. Where he'll be safe until this all blows over."

Ikora stared ahead as she primed the ship's engine, looking out to the beckoning golden sky bathed by the light of the setting sun. She lifted a corner of her mouth in a smile. "You sent them to Pluto."

"Bingo." Cayde gave her a congratulatory thumbs-up. "We'll just have to hope that whatever we have will be enough to stop him. I mean," He set the empty glass down in the cupholder in front of Zavala, "I believe in us. So let's get it done. After a nap."

Cayde turned and walked to the passenger hold, laying down on a firm bunk and shutting his optics at last. Zavala clenched his jaw and shook his head, double-checking the systems and instruments on the ship's dashboard. Ikora set the course and activated the main thrusters of the ship, sending them rocketing forward out of the hangar and into the sky.

The ship flew smoothly through the air and rose higher toward the vast expanse of space.

 **V**

The triangular door seemed to fold in on itself with a steady rumbling grind of stone upon stone. Light flared briefly in the engraved geometric pattern before entire sections of it slid into the wall in front of them.

With a silent hand motion, Brick ordered the four of them to take cover behind the walls, bathed in shadow still. They obliged quickly, darting into the darkness as the pale blue light of the next chamber spilled into the hallway. Brick pressed his back against the wall and peered around the corner, careful to keep as concealed as possible.

This chamber was undoubtedly the final room on this path through the Vault of Glass. The entry's stone platform extended only a stone's throw before branching off to the left and right. Uneven stairs led to hollow Vex portals. Easily a half dozen doorways fed into this room. In the center of the chamber a floating stone block, able to comfortably sit half a dozen people, hovered above a drop into the infinite abyss with eerie stillness. Ahead, beyond the Vex portal gates, the pathways met again in a large, flat central area dominated by huge stone pillars of stone and metal. Beyond that, a massive staircase rose up into the blackness, flanked by indomitable arched pillars of glittering stone like glass.

In the center area beyond the floating platform a lone male figure stood facing away from them, silhouetted by the light of a Vex construct directly in front of him. In his right hand was a long staff capped with a cross.

The four guardians looked to each other from across the doorway. Thaddeus and Simone on the right, Brick and Rafael on the left. This had to be their quarry, Judas-33.

Brick gave another order, and stepped out into the light. He took quiet steps forward and lifted his right hand into the air. He signalled Simone and Thaddeus to move right, then motioned for Rafael to come left. The others followed direction without a word, ducking into the shadows of massive stone blocks and the alcove of stairs. Rafael drew his assault rifle, Simone her sniper rifle, Thaddeus his pistol, and Brick his shotgun.

The man in black in the center of the room bowed his head. He spoke down to the ground, but his voice echoed across the entire room. "Friends, why did you come? To seek me?"

Brick stood tall and stepped forward toward the edge of the drop into forever. He held his weapon, a hefty shotgun painted vibrant orange and blue, in the crook of his arm. "Just me." He announced, though his voice seemed to be swallowed by the air itself.

The man in black was definitively a warlock. Clad in a black robe with a belt cinched at the waist, the hem of this garment was tattered and frayed. His helmet was round and solid black. What looked like two snakes were wrapped around his left arm as he raised it up to the bright light of the Vex construct in front of him. He turned around to face Brick, silhouetted by the blinking, pulsing lights. He looked to Brick for a moment, then turned his head slightly to the right, then to the left. Brick's stomach dropped when he realized the warlock was looking in the directions of Rafael and Thaddeus.

"You lie." The man in black scoffed and looked up to the ceiling. "Come to the light, my flock."

Warily, Rafael was the first to reveal himself from his hiding spot. He stepped out from behind a stone block and looked to the other warlock with his rifle raised. After a moment, Thaddeus did the same, holding his pistol at his hip, ready to fire. Simone peered out from behind her cover in the alcove of the stairs, but did not reveal herself fully.

"Wondrous." The warlock stepped forward as well, looking across the gap to the four of them. He took careful note of their weapons. "Stow your weapons, for all who take the sword will perish by it." He nodded to the firearms in each of their hands.

The four guardians looked to each other with growing uncertainty. At last, Rafael relented. He spoke, "If you'll do it, too."

The warlock laughed. "My staff is a tool. One that is sadly necessary. Do you know who I am?"

"A wanted man." Brick called out in response.

"Judas-33." Rafael added. "A rogue guardian."

"You are not wrong." Judas shrugged. "But your cause is weak and unjust. Are you?"

Rafael scowled and looked to his teammates. They had also put away their weapons, though he noticed that Brick's fists were clenched tight and Thaddeus's hand hovered over the hilt of his sword. He looked back to Judas. "You are an enemy of the Light, Judas-33. We must apprehend you. Will you comply?"

Judas laughed again. "Is there no honor left beneath the Traveler? You all know my name well, yet I do not know yours." He held his hand out in greeting. "And are the vanguard so alien now, without my guiding hand?"

Brick spoke. "Brick." He pointed to Rafael, "Rafael." He pointed to the hunters, "Thaddeus and Simone. There."

Rafael cleared his throat. "If we must exchange pleasantries, I much prefer you learn my full name. I am Don Rafael Luciano Solórzano y Vela. I shall gladly bring you to justice on behalf of the Traveler." He smiled with a wild, cocky grin behind his helmet.

"Why do you boast in evil, o mighty man?" Judas scoffed then promptly ignored him. He looked to the hunters, still mostly cloaked in the shadows. His gaze lingered on them for a long time. "By Immah most high," His voice dropped low, yet still echoed across the chamber. "Is it true?"

Thaddeus and Simone looked to each other. Thaddeus shrugged but humored him. "Aye. The pleasure is, of course, all yours." He bowed slightly but never took his eyes from Judas.

"It can't be." Judas stared transfixed at the two of them. "Your voice is the same." He looked to his hip, "That damned sword, of course. Tell me, then, what is your sword's name?" He stepped forward and leaned over the edge of the infinite drop to inspect him further. "If you're who I think you are, it should be named 'Temptress'."

Thaddeus was silent for a long time, standing still and looking Judas up and down. At last he broke the silence. "It is. How did you know?" He gripped the hilt of his rapier and shifted into a draw stance. "No one knows her name. Well," He amended, "I have told it to Simone, and to my enemies before they taste her."

"It seems we have much to discuss." Judas broke his gaze from them and held his arms out. Swirling vortices of violet and black energy swirled around his feet and lifted him from the ground and carried him across the gap to the floating stone block in the middle of the chamber. He alighted easily and looked to them all. "I trust the vanguard are on their way now? Perhaps you have some time to talk before they arrive." He tapped the butt of his staff on the floor between his feet and released it. It remained floating in the air, planted on the rock and held aloft by invisible hands. "This shall be neutral ground. Come, and parley with me." He walked around the staff, looking to each of them. His gaze lingered on Thaddeus and Simone.

The four guardians regrouped opposite Judas, whispering softly to one another in the halfway decent cover of a thin pillar of stone that rose up to the ceiling.

Rafael cursed under his breath, "¡Puta madre! What the hell is going on? How do you know him?" He thrust an accusatory finger in Thaddeus's direction, scant inches from the visor of his ornately engraved helmet.

"I don't." Thaddeus whispered harshly and batted the warlock's hand away. "I don't know what's going on, either. What do you think, Simone?"

Simone glanced to Judas, who was standing still and waiting patiently for the group to come to a consensus. A chill ran up her body. "I think we should do it."

"Why?" Brick asked, thoroughly confused.

"Because we can distract him until the vanguard arrives," Thaddeus offered.

Simone nodded in agreement. "And for my part, I consider it better to be adventurous than cautious."

"¿Porque no los dos?" Rafael asked indignantly. "I'll listen and be ready in case he tries anything underhanded."

"You think he would?" Thaddeus wondered almost absently.

Brick answered for the warlock, "Yes. I'll watch, too."

The hunters each nodded and broke away from the others.

Thaddeus and Simone each jumped across the gap to land upon the floating stone platform and approached Judas in the center. Rafael and Brick followed, but kept to the edge of the block, watching intently.

Judas seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and reached up to pull off his helmet. He raised his head, his metal features were sharp and angular. His left optic was a pale yellow, his right was a brilliant red Vex optic that had been transplanted from a hobgoblin unit. His crimson paint job was scuffed and scraped away in many places, leaving streaks of silver across his features. He came as close to smiling as he could. "Please, let me see your faces." He nearly pleaded with the hunters.

Rafael and Brick gave each other sidelong glances. The warlock shook his head softly as if to assure the titan he would do no such thing. Brick wordlessly agreed.

The hunters, however, assented.

Thaddeus pulled his royal blue hood down and pulled his helmet off first. Like Judas, he was also an exo. His face was thin. His metal finish was the color of tarnished gold, and his optics glowed a vivid green. His optics met Judas's. He nearly recoiled at the intrusive scrutiny the Vex one gave him.

Simone bowed her head and removed her helmet. Like Judas and Thaddeus, she revealed herself to be an exo as well. Her face was long and its features seemed somewhat softer than the mens'. Her finish was a cloudy white, and her optics glowed a brilliant, bright red. She looked to them each in turn.

Judas's voice caught in his throat as he took the sight of them in. "I thought I had lost you forever."

Thaddeus leaned away from Judas and held a hand up to stop him from approaching closer, apparently spreading his arms wide as if to embrace them. "First, how the hell do you know us?"

That stopped Judas mid-stride. "Right." He stepped back and looked to them again, aghast. "You don't know… What are your designations now?"

"Thirteen." Simone offered.

"Sixteen." Thaddeus.

"God on high," Judas muttered. "When I knew you, you were four and three, respectively."

Thaddeus gave Simone a glance. "Why don't I remember him?"

Simone shrugged.

"What was the earliest thing you remember?" Judas inquired.

Simone answered. "I… waking up. I remember waking up in a black room. Only Thaddeus was there."

Judas continued, "Were your ghosts there, hovering over you? Did they bring you back?"

"No." Thaddeus replied. "Just the two of us."

"How long ago was that?"

Simone pondered for a moment. "Maybe a year and a half ago?"

Judas sighed and bowed his head low, pressed his palms together and muttered under his breath. "Monsters, the lot of them." He looked up to them. "I will speak plainly, now. While I wish your comrades were not present, that cannot be helped." He cast sidelong glances to Brick and Rafael. "Once, you were both guardians in the Tower." He paused. "Alongside me."

Brick audibly gasped.

Judas continued. "We served together on many missions, battling the forces of the Darkness, as well as becoming renowned champions of the Crucible." He paused to let his words sink in. He looked to them hopefully. "We were the premiere fireteam, and the first all-exo unit in the vanguards' employ." He stood up straight and proud. "Fireteam-"

"Gehenna." Thaddeus finished for him, testing the word in his mouth.

"That's what Cayde called us." Simone added. "The name he knew us best by."

Thaddeus tilted his head slightly, looking to Judas. "But how is it that this lives in thy mind? What seest thou else in the dark backwards abyss of time?"

Judas nodded and his voice dropped low. He shut his optics hard. "I was deceived, and you were dragged into it. I was exiled. Alone. I had no idea what fate befell you… I tried searching, but I could not find you. I gave up hope that either of you were even still alive."

Simone crossed her arms. "I'm trying to remember, but nothing's coming to mind. How can we be sure you're telling the truth?"

Thaddeus countered her. "He knew Temptress, Simone." He turned his attention back to Judas. "Wherefore did they not that hour destroy us?"

Judas shook his head. "The vanguard… There is no faithfulness in their mouths, their inward part is destruction, and their throats are open tombs. Though they are twisted, evil infidels, they are also soft. Death is not their preferred torment. It is too merciful." He looked to them and his voice grew hopeful again. "But I have at last discovered a cure for the minds of others. Perhaps it could reverse the damage the sinful have wrought upon your memories?"

"Is it possible?" Simone asked. "Even if it is true, could you do it?"

"I'll do it." Thaddeus immediately agreed. "If it means answers, then yes."

Judas nodded. "I am willing. Kneel, and be cleansed."

Thaddeus took a knee and bowed his head low without a word of objection. Simone, though slower to comply, did the same. She kept her eye on Thaddeus.

Rafael yelled, "¡Idiotas! What are you doing, he could be lying!"

"Probably is." Brick added.

"Silence!" Judas shouted each of them down. "Have the gates of death been revealed to you? Have you comprehended the breadth of the universe? Tell me, if you know all this." He looked down to the hunters kneeling before him. He pressed the palms of his hands on the crowns of their heads. He nearly whispered, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light."

"Enough!" Rafael roared and raised his rifle at Judas. "Don't fall for it, ¡mi amigos!" He squeezed the trigger and let loose a flurry of charged particles flying through the air.

Faster than the bullets, however, Judas looked up and materialized a deep indigo and violet shield around himself and the hunters at his feet. Rafael's volley punched uselessly into the domed shield, absorbed by its energy.

Satisfied, Judas again focused on the two before him. "Do not fear any of the things you are about to suffer." His Vex eye flared a bright blue for a moment and his hands trembled. His fingers gripped the hunters' craniums and they each seethed with pain as he released a flow of energy into them. He hung his head and leaned upon them for support. The hunters gasped in pain and roared in agony beneath him.

Brick brought up his shotgun and attempted to blast through the violet shield surrounding fireteam Gehenna. Rafael raised his left hand and sent a gout of roiling flames at the bubble. Buckshot pellets bounced off harmlessly. Fire spread out but could not consume it.

As quickly as they howled out in pain, they were silent. Thaddeus leaned heavily on one knee, Simone had doubled over and dropped both of her hands to the ground to keep herself from falling over entirely.

"What did you do to them?" Rafael demanded as he stepped away from the bubble. He looked to Brick.

The titan grunted and stowed his shotgun, but just as swiftly produced a heavy rocket launcher. He hefted it up, jumped backwards and activated his lift ability to stay aloft in the air above the ground. "Move!" He rested the weapon, a gold plated single-tube explosive, on his right shoulder.

Rafael hurriedly ducked out of the way and followed Brick's lead in jumping off of the platform. He jumped toward the entrance and took point under the floating titan. "I thought warlocks couldn't use a ward of dawn shield. What did he do?" The warlock repeated.

"Think later!" Brick yelled. He pulled the trigger and launched a high velocity rocket at the glowing bubble. It exploded an instant before it made contact, erupting into a vortex of spiraling, deep violet particles and smoke.

Brick alighted next to Rafael just as the smoke from his rocket cleared. The ward of dawn bubble was gone, but Judas remained standing defiantly.

Judas plucked his staff from its place in the center of the platform and took a step backwards. He did not look away from the hunters. "Rise, my friends."

The hunters did so, slowly at first. Thaddeus shook his head violently. Simone massaged her temples gently. Neither of them spoke.

"Tell me," Judas's voice was strained as if he were exhausted. Visibly, Brick could tell he was struggling against the urge to use his staff as a crutch. "Do you remember now?"

Simone lifted her head. "Yes," she spoke softly, "Yes, Judas. Everything." She dropped to her knees before him again, this time in deference. Or perhaps, Rafael worried, reverence. "I am ready and willing to follow your banner again, if only you would raise it."

"Wondrous." Judas nodded in appreciation. "Thaddeus-16?"

Thaddeus stood tall and stretched his aching back. He rolled his shoulders before speaking. "Aye. A plague upon the tyrants that I served. I'll follow thee, thou wondrous man." He bowed low and grasped Judas's right hand, kissing it gently with his metal mouth.

"Rejoice." Judas said simply. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic, Thad."

Thaddeus laughed and stood up tall again, breaking his act. "Ah, but what an appropriate choice of words, no?"

Simone rose and giggled. "Careful Judas, he'll be kissing something else soon."

Rafael backed away further from them. His back bumped into the wall. He raised his rifle. "Brick, what do we do?"

Brick finished reloading his rocket launcher and readied it again. "Fight."

"Que joder, I was hoping you would say 'run'." Rafael summoned a ball of red-hot energy in his left hand and tossed it onto the platform. It erupted and tendrils of licking flames shot out toward the three guardians upon it.

Brick fired a second rocket at them.

Thaddeus, Simone and Judas were each rocked by the lance of fire that pierced their chests and set their armor ablaze. Audible pops echoed through the chamber as their protective shields were broken. Thaddeus and Simone stepped aside and looked to their assailants.

Judas raised his left hand and a deep black void flared out from just beyond his fingertips. He watched with muted expression as the second rocket was swallowed into this vortex. He closed his fist, the black hole disappeared, and he opened it again with his palm up. The vortex reappeared and the rocket shot forth from it, directly back at Brick.

"Fuck!" Brick exclaimed and dropped his rocket launcher. He planted his boots on the ground and spread his arms wide as he summoned up his own ward of dawn shield, in the form of a ten foot tall wall directly in front of him. The rocket connected with the light construct wall and exploded in a shower of void-energy charged sparks.

Judas spread his arms again, raising his staff high. Energy swirled around his feet again as he lifted himself up and back to the central glowing Vex pillar. "Rip the light from their ghosts." He ordered the hunters as he turned his attention back to the Vault of Glass's inner mechanisms.

"Aye, my commander." Thaddeus drew his rapier, Temptress, and its blade crackled with electricity.


	10. Chapter Nine: The Whole Armor Of God

**Chapter Nine: The Whole Armor of God**

"Everything that the light touches is my kingdom," Commander Roy proudly exclaimed. He added, "I heard that in a movie once."

Phoenix and Roy stepped out of their jumpships and into the wide open, dingy brown metal docking bay of the Fallen ketch. Round cargo crates littered the floor, streaks of dust cut across the floor betraying the haste with which the Fallen had tried to prepare a landing space for them. Phoenix stayed close to Roy as he approached the welcoming party waiting patiently at the end of the bay.

A dozen Fallen vandals, in slightly varying height and musculature, bowed their heads deeply in deference toward Commander Roy. The titan, still carrying the unconscious Koru Sen over his shoulder, returned the slight gesture as best he could. Each of them wore a tattered violet cloak emblazoned with a gold jolly roger skull and crossbones.

Roy approached the four-armed alien in the center of the group and smiled wide. "Randall!" He exclaimed happily.

The vandal looked up and chittered happily behind his mask.

"Here, hold this." Roy said absently as he nearly threw Koru's limp body at the nearest subordinate Fallen. The alien squealed under the warlock's weight and nearly crumpled until he was caught and supported by another vandal. Roy paid it no mind and reached out to grab Randall by the shoulders. The titan looked deep into his glowing blue eyes, then tilted his head back and slammed it forehead-first into the alien's face.

Stunned silence overcame the entire bay. Randall took a step back woozily and shook his head before rushing in and returning the gesture, hitting Roy with a headbutt, sending a resounding SMACK through the huge open space.

Commander Roy took a step back, nodded in appreciation, and embraced Randall in a tight hug.

"Uhh, what the fuck was that?" Phoenix asked, beyond befuddled.

"Huh?" Roy smiled and let the vandal go. "Oh, that's just how we say hello."

"With a headbutt?" The hunter was still clearly confused. "I don't get it."

"Yeah." Roy mused, "Me either. But it works." He stepped back and grabbed Phoenix by the shoulders, jabbing at him with his index finger. He spoke slowly to the assembled Fallen. "This. Is Phoenix. Fee-nix. Friend. Not food."

"Roy, do they eat people?" Phoenix seemed to shrink behind Roy. He tried to slip out from under his arm, but the titan's grip was too strong.

"Haha. Anyway," Roy went on, "Welcome to the House of Spirits ketch, lad!"

Phoenix looked up and around at the space. Dirty, oil-stained metal plates lined the entire room, the ceiling rose up in a dome fifty feet or more above his head. Their two jumpships were parked in the center of the room, taking up the bulk of the floor space. Koru's was being hoisted up on thick black chains to rest against the ceiling via a winch system. Circular doors led into wide hallways with low ceilings, illuminated with softly humming orange lights.

The hunter finally allowed himself to look back at the Fallen. They were jovially chittering and chattering among themselves, heads bobbing with each burst of ecstatic conversation. The lone exception was the leader, Randall, who stood still to look Phoenix up and down. A few of the vandals were practicing their new greeting on each other now, their scuffed and dented helmets clanking off of each other. He saw that one of the vandals had called a team of lower ranking dreg soldiers to carry Koru off somewhere.

Roy grabbed Phoenix by the shoulders and threw him toward Randall. "Go say hi!"

"Wha?!" Phoenix yelped out as he stumbled forward and just barely caught himself before he ran into the Fallen vandal. His face was barely an inch away from the vandal's scarred chestplate. He looked up tentatively. "Uhh… hi, Randall." He tried to wave in greeting.

Randall worked his mouth behind his helmet in a chittering response before he grabbed Phoenix under the arms and helped him stand straight. Before the hunter could utter a word of thanks, however, Randall slammed his helmeted forehead into Phoenix's unprotected one. He caught Phoenix so he wouldn't fall, then laughed and turned him toward another vandal.

"Ow, fuck you. Wait, wait!"

Phoenix was too late. The second vandal headbutted him as well, nearly knocking him back. It shouted happily in a language that he did not understand.

"Fuck. Ow. Shit. God. Damnit!" Phoenix cursed, his words growing steadily more slurred and unintelligible as he was passed around in a circle of headbutting Fallen vandals, gleefully introducing him to their ship via repeated concussive blows to his face. At last the circle dispersed and Randall shoved Phoenix back toward Commander Roy, who promptly caught him and wrapped him up in an uncomfortably warm embrace.

"Did you make any new friends?" Roy asked with a grin, looking down at the hunter in his arms.

"Go lee fuck ham sandwich, again." Phoenix muttered as he closed his eyes. His head was throbbing, a thin trickle of blood dripping down the bridge of his nose from the rapidly swelling bruise in the center of his forehead.

"I will take that as a yes." Roy smiled and looked back to Randall and the other Fallen, "Thanks Randall, you can keep the chair. You earned it."

Randall bowed his head and pounded his fists against his chest before turning around and beckoning his crew to follow him back to the bridge of the vessel. He held back as he watched his men filter into the main hallway. He turned back to Roy and pointed down the hall then to the left, as if to convey a message to him. He struggled out a few garbled words in English. "Fr-friend. Rrr…ready."

"Got it." Roy gave the vandal a thumbs-up and nearly dragged Phoenix behind him and into the hallway. He hummed to himself as he wound his way through the hall and to the left, down stairs and around support pillars. He liked Randall, he made being a kell easy. And it didn't hurt to have someone around who tried to learn English.

"Where dirty bread we am what?" Phoenix muttered weakly, barely even managing to make his ramblings resemble a question.

Roy guessed his intention and responded. "Koru's in the ready room, so we can hang out there. Which is good, because I think you need a nap."

Skye burst into being in front of Roy, staring him down with her diamond-shaped green eye even as she hovered in the air, keeping pace with him down the hall. " _What are you doing to my guardian?_ " She demanded.

"Don't worry, I'll tuck him in. I might even read him a story. I think he will like the ones Koru reads to me." Roy waved Skye's concerns off and laughed.

" _No you are not! You gave him a concussion, Roy!_ " Skye yelled.

"I didn't do shit. That was Randall."

" _You let it happen!_ "

"I thought he wouldn't be a bitch, my bad." Roy shrugged. He looked down to Phoenix, who he was now dragging by the scarf around his neck. The hunter weakly struggled to keep his head up. "You doing all right buddy?"

Phoenix managed, "Poop." before his head lolled back down.

" _We need to make sure he stays awake, Roy. Take him to the ready room first, we'll figure it out from there._ " Skye's voice shifted from outrage to concern borne from protective instinct.

"I don't have any pizza. Do you?" Roy inquired absently as he bent to pick Phoenix up and carry him bridal-style through the hall. He could see the door a stone's throw away ahead of them.

" _No. We need to try something else._ " Skye replied.

"Eh, I will just have the cooks make him one. Here we are." The door opened for him automatically.

The ready room was a relatively large circular chamber. Along the back wall was an electronic monitor displaying a view of the outside cosmos; Roy saw the slowly shrinking planet Earth disappearing into the deep nothingness of the universe. Under it and along the left wall was a semicircle of plush, but well worn and torn, couches pushed up against the wall. Centered between the sofas was a large, low rectangular steel table that already had a few drinks set out on it. Tucked away to the left of the door was a collection of electronically sealed crates with easy-access lids; he hoped they were fully stocked. To the right was a smaller door, and while still circular, it appeared to be one of the only ones that operated with a hinge instead of an automated pneumatic detection system. In the back right of the room was a small area that was only partially walled off; Roy spied the edges of a water basin behind a thick black curtain. The entire room was lit from above by a single flickering warm lamp.

Commander Roy laid Phoenix down on the nearest section of the couch and let Skye attend to him while he inspected this new part of the ship. He had never even stepped foot on this ketch before, but it was starting to feel like home already. He picked up one of the drinks on the table and opened it, taking a sip. "Gross, warm beer." He grimaced and went to put it away in the refrigeration crate.

" _Don't your minions have any medical supplies or anything?_ " Skye shone her light in Phoenix's eyes, who smacked at her weakly and groaned in protest.

"Hey, I don't like that word. They are my crew. But I can call and you can ask." Roy checked the contents of the rest of the coolers, nodding in appreciation. Most of them were six-packs of chilled ether, leaking out white mist from their bottles, and a few crudely canned packs of alien snack foods. Still, at least they tried. "I wonder where they put Koru," He thought out loud to himself as he peeked into the room on the right and saw a small, cramped space with a low ledge with a hole cut into it. Bathroom, he noted.

" _Well, call them. I don't know if I can keep Phoenix awake long enough like this. And get that pizza._ " She muttered down to Phoenix, who was writhing on the couch and holding his head. " _Come on, not like this._ "

"Yeah yeah, hold on." Roy peeked behind the heavy black curtains in the corner to see a few cots and a trough filled with water. Koru was in the nearer cot, sleeping peacefully on his side. "Aww," Roy smiled, "What a little drunken angel."

" _ROY!_ " Skye yelled. " _CALL THEM NOW OR SO HELP ME-!_ "

Commander Roy bristled and stood up, quickly walking over to the intercom system installed just to the side of the door. He cleared his throat and pressed the button. "Hey guys, I need to place an order for one doctor and a…" He looked over his shoulder as if to reassess the room, "And two large pizzas. And a bottle of rum. Make that three. No, seven."

Skye watched him from across the room. She heard the confused chatter from the other end of the system and her frustration grew exponentially with each passing second of uncertainty. At last Roy stepped away from the speaker and sat down on the couch next to the still-reeling Phoenix. She gave him a stern gaze. " _Think they got all that?_ "

"I don't know, probably." Roy shrugged and looked out to the passing stars and asteroids on the screen above them.

 **II**

"This is it, gang." Cayde-6 craned his neck to look up the jagged stone stairs and the ominously dark hallway beyond. He could just barely see the wall engraved with a twenty foot tall triangular pattern. "You ready?"

Zavala brushed past him and stomped his way up the stairs. "Of course." He huffed, his massive heavy machine gun crackling with electric energy all along its frame.

Ikora stopped next to Cayde and placed a reassuring hand upon his shoulder. There was no hint of humor in her eyes. "We came here for a purpose, Cayde. We should not forget it."

Cayde watched the titan and warlock ascend the steps for a moment. To himself, mostly, he whispered. "How could I?"

As they approached the stone door, the angled engraved pattern upon it flared to life with a sudden intrusion of bright blue light and a cacophonous sound of stone grinding against stone. They stood, poised to move, and watched as a triangular doorway became apparent within seconds. Some sections of the wall slid away, some vanished into nothingness. Zavala stepped forward through the door and motioning the others to fan out behind him. He kept his machine gun up and ready.

The three of them took a snapshot assessment of their surroundings. Center floating platform, branching paths leading up to separate Vex portal gates, met back up in the center opposite the platform. A massive staircase leading up to the apex of the room flanked by gigantic, glinting immaculate pillars of floating glass.

Zavala squinted and looked up the stairs, taking point and jumping up onto the floating platform between the sections of the room. He slid into cover behind a slightly raised section of it. He raised his hand behind the wall and motioned, catching Ikora's eye. He signaled that he saw their target at the apex of the stairs.

Ikora nodded gravely and gripped the stock of her shotgun tighter. She came around the nearer side of the Vex gate and took cover behind it to assess their target.

Cayde slunk around wide, passing through the shadows and keeping his back to every wall he could also use for cover. He peered around the corner of a low barrier to the top of the center stairs. A lone figure, clad in all black, was standing with his back to them. His hand was outstretched toward a bright pillar of white light, casting a long shadow down the stairway behind him.

A voice, harsh and deep, boomed throughout the chamber from all directions. "Welcome to the leyline of infinity. It is a wondrous locus of the energies of the universe, is it not?"

The warlock at the top of the stairs perked up, but he did not turn to face them.

"What's he doing?" Zavala whispered. He emerged from his thin cover and hopped across the gap to the central arena, proudly marching toward the stairs. His eyes darted around the room, and he spied cover behind a thick stone pillar a stone's throw to the left. It would have to do if this gambit did not pay off.

Cayde watched the warlock intently for a moment. The man's outstretched hand appeared to be holding something up to the light. Something small, round, floating… "Shit." Cayde muttered.

"What is it?" Ikora hissed, descending down a flight of stairs to take cover behind a thick stone pillar ahead of Cayde, nearer to Zavala.

"I… I think he's using his ghost to tap into the Vault." Cayde replied.

"Is that even possible?" Zavala addressed his question to Ikora.

Ikora could only shake her head. "Anything is _possible_ , but…" She trailed off and looked up to the warlock. "What's our plan of attack, Commander?"

Zavala clenched his jaw. "Full frontal barrage followed by a tactical flank. After that," He sighed, "Improvise."

"Understood." Ikora took a deep breath.

The warlock took a tighter grip on his ghost and shoved it toward the pillar of light. It remained lodged in the construct. Cayde thought he could hear the faint, but unmistakable, wailing cries of unfathomable pain. At last the warlock at the top of the stairs turned toward them.

"On my command." Zavala barked out and trained his weapon's sights on the enemy.

Judas spoke calmly, though a hint of underlying fury painted his every breath. "It has been too long since we've spoken. Remind me once again, I beseech you," He stepped down a few feet and promptly sat down on one of the steps, laying his staff across his lap. "How long has it truly been? Time in this place has no meaning, after all."

"Seventeen months." Zavala answered. "I would have preferred forever."

"And yet, here we are, all four of us, again united." Judas brought his hands together slowly.

Ikora looked once to Zavala, then up to Judas. It was too much. She pleaded with him, her stern facade broken into one of desperation. "Please, Judas. You could end this madness, you could return to the Tower. Why are you doing this?"

Judas was silent for a moment. "I do not recall you making such an offer when I was first condemned. Quite the _opposite_ , in fact. All of you _betrayed_ me. But you, Ikora. You were my _mentor_. My _first_ exposure to the Light. You knew me better than anyone, and I had _thought_ I was respected enough for my words of warning to be heeded. But no. You were weak like the rest of _them_. You, my best friend, chose to cast me out. Such a betrayal is tantamount to murder!" He roared, yet did not rise from his seat upon the stairs.

"We did what we had to." Ikora shot back.

"As did I. As I am doing now." Judas sat up straighter.

"It was _our_ choice to send you away. It was _yours_ to become a monster." Zavala called out. "You earned this for yourself."

Judas rested his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers as if in thought. "How ironic. If I were to say, then, that it was _your_ choice to be swayed by the darkness, and _mine_ to enact rightfully upon your misdeed, what then?"

"I'd say," Cayde popped up out of his cover, "that you're a misguided psycho whose plans are not only just plain stupid, but will only put thousands of innocent lives in danger. But hey, that's just me."

"Ah, Cayde." Judas bowed his head as if in greeting. "I was wondering when you would lend your voice. As colorful, but pointless, as it ever was."

"Hey," Cayde shrugged, "Don't blame me, I voted for the death penalty. I'm just here for moral support. Never underestimate the value of a good cheerleader."

"Hm. Or are you here to ensure your secrets don't make it out of here?" At last Judas got to his feet, taking his staff in his left hand wreathed in coiling serpents' tails. "Surely you must be curious as to the whereabouts of your scouts?"

Zavala's finger hovered over the trigger of his gun.

Ikora tensed, feeling the rushing energy of the light itself coursing through her body.

Cayde rested his left hand on the grip of the hand cannon at his hip. "What did you do with them?" He asked tentatively.

"I admit," Judas continued as if not hearing him, "It was inspired, no, _poetic_ , to send my old team after me. They have been struck down, killed and rendered molecule by molecule, scattered across time and space." He took a step down toward them.

Zavala clenched his jaw. Furrowed his brow. Soon.

Judas gripped his staff tight and tapped the end of it against the ground thrice. " _Exile_. _Execution_. Prison, I'm sure, would have been on the table as well were it not for my talents. I am sure that in your warped and wicked hearts, you saw these as the right actions. Yet, the truth eluded you for the sake of a false prophet's goodwill. Was I not, in _truth_ , innocent?"

"Well," Cayde started.

"ANSWER ME." Judas roared, his voice crashing through the chamber and the void of infinity beyond alike.

Cayde sighed. "I admit, we made the wrong call. But that's what the job is about. We sit up in our office and we move guardians around on missions and diplomatic affairs. And sometimes we lose them. Sometimes we make bad calls, and they end up dead." He looked to Judas now. "Or worse. So yeah, we fucked up. But that doesn't make you right, and I'm _pretty sure_ it means we have to put you down."

"Now," Ikora added desperately, "We can settle this without resorting to violence."

"No." Judas shook his head. "Your appeals mean nothing to me. My heart is hardened." He took a moment to gather himself. His mind raced a thousand and more again thoughts in every instant. Such was infinty within the finite. "Tell me, my betrayers, what do you know of sword logic?"

The warlock vanguard raised an eyebrow, but did not respond.

"All of the Hive understand the sword logic." Judas explained, "It is the one true, _infallible_ philosophy. The strong reap the weak. At the end of existence, there will be but one victor. It will _not_ be the Light, nor will it be the Darkness. It will be _me_. Once I have wrested the Traveler from you, I will set the Darkness to devour itself." He took a deep breath and looked to the three of them in turn. "Woe to the rebellious children who take counsel, but not of me."

"Enough." Zavala called out. "Now!"

And battle erupted.

 **III**

"Ugh," Koru Sen groaned and struggled to lay his hand over his eyes as his vision was assaulted by the sudden intrusion of a bright light. "Stop it, go away Dari." He tried to wave the light away blindly, giving up and rolling away from it.

He felt a hand bat at his shoulder, a voice grumbling in displeasure. He brushed it away and tried to settle in for more sleep. His head was pounding in his skull, and he could hear Roy and Phoenix arguing about something from somewhere nearby. The warlock had finally managed to settle into a comfortable position when he felt the hand return and try to turn him onto his back.

"Let me sleep!" Koru nearly cried in frustration. He turned over again and sat up, struggling to keep his head still as his vision swam behind his still mostly-closed eyelids. He grunted with some effort and held his hands over his face, peeking out between his fingers to filter how much light came in. Even in this surprisingly dim room, it hurt to even look around.

He felt the hand come in again and grab his wrist. Before he could push it away or voice any protest, it yanked his hand away from his face and shone a bright light directly into his eyes. He hissed and shut his eyes against it, slapping at the source and sending it bouncing to the ground with a dense thud of metal on metal. He sighed and held his temples, massaging them gently even as each heartbeat echoed throughout his entire skull in painful rhythm.

"Forget it, guess I'm up now." He muttered down to his lap and sucked in another painful breath. He thought he could sense a presence nearby, just outside of arm's reach, but he dared not test his luck. He kept his eyes closed and tried to bring himself to complete wakefulness slowly.

Koru felt something cold press against his forehead and urge him to tilt his head back. He resisted for only a moment, then relented and leaned back. Then he felt something cool and solid press against his lips. A voice, soft, reassuring, and unintelligible, spoke with dulcet tones. It hardly mitigated the screaming headache, but it was comforting nonetheless. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting and swallowing what little saliva he had mustered down his bone-dry throat.

A humanoid form clad in shabby brown armor stood above him, looking down with four luminous blue eyes shining through its helmet's visor, each rimmed with a ring of glowing gold. He gasped and opened his eyes wider, and damn the pain. He was face to face with a Fallen dreg. One of its hands was pressing a jury-rigged cold compress to his forehead, the other was tipping up a cup to his lips in an effort to get him to drink. Curiously, he noted that this one's lower arms, which had once been ritually docked to stunt its growth, were regrowing, though they were still short and spindly and useless. He looked up to its eyes again, to its rusted helmet and shock of long red hair sticking up and flowing down the nape of its neck.

Koru blinked once in surprise and took a sip of the liquid it was offering as he pondered the situation. At last, after a long silence, he spoke. "Uhh, hi."

The dreg-going-on-vandal chittered happily as if in greeting. It pulled away the cold compress and the cup Koru was drinking from, It straightened up to face him head-on, then rocked its head back and slammed its forehead into his with a resounding smack.

The pain nearly blinded Koru in a flash of white and red. He shouted out in a garbled mix of surprise, shock, and guttural rage. "FUCK!"

He heard Roy chuckle from the other side of the curtain. "Looks like he's awake."

As if nothing had happened, the dreg returned to its duties, shoving the cup into Koru's hand and using both of its hands to steady the warlock's head and press the soothing ice pack against his forehead and swollen temple. It cooed softly and smoothed out his black hair.

"What was the purpose of that?" Koru asked loudly. "Why did you hit me?"

It looked to him with its unblinking gaze. It spoke, this time in pidgin English. Koru saw it struggling to make certain sounds with its throat. "For hellooo. Greeting."

It had a similar, but not quite so prominent, drawl as Variks the Loyal in the Reef. Koru shook his head to clear his mind of the largely unpleasant memory of that day. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he distantly noted that his talk with Variks, however brief, had been amicable.

Koru closed his eyes again and took another sip of water, forcing it down with some effort. "You know English?"

It nodded. "Yesss. You learn Eliksni." It patted the top of his head as if to praise him. "So, learn your words baaack."

Koru looked into the glass of surprisingly clear water. His head hurt more than before, but he was coming down off his headache. "Wait, wait." He was at a momentary loss for thought itself as he tried to place together the pieces of the puzzle in his mind's eye. Then finally it dawned on him. "You know me?"

It nodded again. "Yeeees. Earth." Its voice dropped low, "Squad die. Purple and green humansss."

The warlock gently pushed the dreg's hand away and held the ice pack to his own head. He turned on his cot toward it, swinging his legs out over the edge to dangle over the floor. "Right. I remember you now. I was with Eve, we saw you. She tried to kill you."

The dreg nodded gravely. "Who she? Red humaaan. Your… mate?" Its voice lifted in genuine inquiry.

"I guess so, yes." Koru agreed almost blindly. "Or, well, it's complicated right now. No?" The words all seemed right, but none of them fit.

"Oh." The dreg seemed to accept all of this without question. Curious. "Where she nooow?"

"That's a long story." Koru took another drink from his cup, downing it completely.

"Oh. We talk Eliksni now, yeees?" It asked, clearly eager to return to its own language. It took a step back into the small space that had been cordoned off, nearly into the center of it now. It plucked the empty cup from his grasp and dipped it into a trough of water to fill it up, then handed it back to him.

"Uhh," Koru took another long drink of water. "I don't actually speak Eliksni."

The dreg tilted its head in confusion. Its bright blue and gold eyes flickered slightly behind its helmet's visor lenses. "But. You talked. Told me, find Spirit House. Live like... kell."

Koru shrugged. "Sorry. That was a trick. I had my ghost translate for me to make it sound like I was speaking your language." He slid off the cot and stretched his arms across his chest, cracking his neck and knuckles as he scanned the room for his gear. It was sloppily folded and placed in a pile under his cot. He bent to gather his things, throwing his ice-white coat around his shoulders first. Being dressed down in only pants and a thin shirt did not give him peace of mind in an obviously alien craft. He pulled on his boots and clasped the metal bands around his wrists, but left his helmet off.

The dreg looked down, dejected. It looked down to its three-fingered hands and seemed to curse in its native tongue. It looked up to him now that they were standing nearly eye-level with one another. "Hoursss to learn. I not sleeeep. For… trick?" It sighed and made to step out of the room.

Koru stopped it with a hand on its shoulder. "Wait, what's your name?" He asked. He pointed to his chest with his free hand. "I am -"

The dreg looked to his chest, to his white coat. "White…" It trailed off and looked to his face, with his glowing blue skin and fiery golden eyes. "Blue humaaan?" It guessed.

Koru shook his head. "No. I am Koru. Koru Sen. Who are you?"

"Yubo Ixasis, vel redha drah Ferksis, vel redha drah Dramixis..." It replied with a flurry of alien words in response.

Koru stared blankly for a moment. "Bless you?" He tried to smile.

The dreg huffed and pointed to itself. Simply, it said, "Ixasis."

"Oh. Nice to meet you, I guess." Koru held out his hand in greeting. "Icky six. Ick-sah-sis. I… I'll try later."

The dreg took his hand and shook it slowly. "Kooorrru." It tried saying his name. "Try laterrr." It sighed and bowed its head as it turned to leave. It slipped out of the room between the black curtains hung up haphazardly.

Koru followed it out and shut his eyes as the room's light assaulted his vision anew in the brighter area. "Ugh, right." He held his throbbing temples and pressed his slowly melting and dripping ice pack against his forehead harder. He saw the dreg, Ixasis, holding the handheld flashlight he had apparently knocked away and stepping out of the door. It looked over its shoulder to glance at him as the circular door shut behind it.

"Hey there sleepyhead!" Commander Roy laughed and patted the seat of the couch next to him. "Have a good nap?"

"Welcome back to land of the living," Phoenix added. "Did you dream about me?"

"Naw," Roy guffawed, "He was dreaming about his new Fallen boyfriend."

Koru groaned and muttered, stumbling forward with his eyes still mostly closed. "Both of you reprobates shut up, or at least talk quieter. And slower. Besides, you don't dream when you get knocked out."

"Whoa," Phoenix was clearly taken aback, "Don't gotta be an asshole about it, bitch."

"And why are you being such a confrontational dick?" Koru asked, stopping at what he guessed was the edge of the couch.

"I was in a coma. And then I had a concussion." Phoenix paused and rubbed the back of his head, then massaged his still-bruised forehead. "What's your excuse?"

Koru sighed. "I got dumped."

Phoenix immediately changed his tune. "Oh shit bro, I'm sorry. Hey, sit down and get a drink. Take your mind off her."

"Yeah." Koru pulled the ice pack away from his forehead and pressed it to his right temple. It was swollen from the vicious left hook that Commander Roy had landed to knock him out earlier. He remembered that much, at least. He opened his eyes against the pain of light stabbing into his eyes. Phoenix was sat down on one end of the couch, leaning forward and looking up to him with his vibrant green eyes. He was dressed down in just black pants, shoes, and T-shirt.

He looked to the other end of the couch to Commander Roy. Roy was also dressed down, but was in actuality nearly naked. Wearing only a pair of white underwear, against which the massive bulge of his manhood strained, he sat back and looked up at Koru with a smile. Despite his thick black beard, his body hair was surprisingly sparse.

Koru quickly averted his gaze. "Roy, why aren't you wearing pants?" He asked in exasperation as he covered his eyes again, making a point to only look toward Phoenix.

"Why would I be?" The titan asked. "It's way more comfy this way. You should try it."

"I'll pass." Koru said simply.

Phoenix laughed. "Ha, well it could be worse. I had to talk him into putting underwear back on. And we made an agreement that he has to put pants on again in a few minutes."

"You said an hour." Roy shot back.

"Well I can't read." Phoenix responded as if it would end the argument. Surprisingly, it did.

"So, anyone want to fill me in on what's going on," Koru looked up to the glowing monitor on the wall above the couch. It showed the vast expanse of space dotted with millions of stars. "Or am I left to establish my own theory?"

"We are going to Pluto." Roy answered. "I called in the House of Spirits so we don't have to worry about flying separately."

"Well, at least we can sit back for a few hours. Didn't we destroy their ketch?" Koru asked, admiring the view of the cosmos. It must have been real-time. "I seem to recall there was a very large explosion at the bottom of a canyon."

"Oh, yeah." Roy waved his question off. "They stole this one from some other Fallen like, a week ago."

"Only a week?" Phoenix interjected. "Won't the other Fallen want it back?"

Roy shrugged. "Yeah, probably."

Koru pondered for a moment. "Then it may be of mutual benefit to take us out to Pluto. It lies beyond any known borders that anyone would care about, and is far enough out that it would be troublesome to follow us that far. While we go dwarf-planetside…"

"Planet." Phoenix interrupted him. "Pluto is a planet."

"Whatever, shut up." Koru grimaced. "While we're out there, it gives them time to make repairs and other necessary changes. Swapping out the banners, for one. Did they ever decide on a new house color?" He asked absently.

"Purple. I keep telling them they should use black, but I don't think they're listening." Roy answered, not without a hint of disappointment.

The door to the ready room hissed open and a pair of Fallen dregs stepped inside and bowed low toward Commander Roy. The first held two wide, white, flat boxes in its arms. The second carried a crate fashioned into a bucket full of ice and several bottles of liquor. Koru was surprisingly relieved to see that Ixasis was not among these servants.

"Nice, pizza's here!" Phoenix nearly jumped out of his seat and pushed past Koru to grab the boxes from the dreg. He quickly carried them over to the center table and set them down.

"Rum too." Roy beckoned the second dreg over and grabbed the bucket from it when it offered it to him. He set it down next to the pizza on the table. "Good ol' Captain."

Koru looked to the two dregs, who were watching with anticipation, wringing their hands nervously. "Thank you." He told them with barely a smile. He nodded toward the door, and they took the hint, nearly falling over themselves to leave the room.

"What the fuck is this?" Phoenix asked, staring down into the box he had just opened. "Koru, what the fuck is this? Roy?"

Koru looked down into the box. The pizza was large, circular, and its crust was baked a perfect golden brown. White-yellow melted cheese glistened with grease, topped with tender ham sections and…

"Pineapple. That's pineapple, Phoenix." Koru patted the hunter on his shoulder. "It's a tropical fruit native to -"

"I know what it is, smart ass. I meant, why is it on a pizza? Can I even call it pizza now?" Phoenix never took his eyes from the box. His eyes scanned across the surface of the pizza, wishing the dreaded fruit didn't blend in so well with the cheese.

"Well, the sweetness of the pineapple bits offsets the salty flavors of the rest of the ingredients." Koru offered. "It's called Hawaiian style, and I personally find it quite delicious."

"Wow, no wonder Eve broke up with you." Phoenix closed the lid of the box in disgust. He nearly tossed it aside, but instead let it fall to the ground next to the table. He made to open the next one. "Swear to god, if this one has pineapple too, I'm gonna flip."

"Shots." Roy said, barely listening to the conversation as he produced three shot glasses from seemingly nowhere, then poured dark liquor into them from one of the bottles. Koru noticed it was one hundred proof alcohol. Roy handed Koru a shot glass.

Koru shrugged, grit his teeth, and tossed the shot back. It burned harder than his usual choice of alcohol, and after he drank it he had a hard time resisting the urge to spew it back up, but he kept it down.

Phoenix lifted up the lid of the second box. His disappointed frown grew quickly into a twisted visage of pure revulsion. "Oh my god, they gave us _two_ pineapple pizzas. What the fuck, Roy, why don't your guys know what an actual pizza is?" He shut the lid of the box and shoved it away. He threw his hands up and his head back. "Like, _holy shit_ , they ruined pizza. Fuck these guys." He stood up.

"You probably deserve that." Koru set his shot glass down and crossed his arms over his chest. Commander Roy went to refill it without a word.

"Yeah fuck you too, buddy." Phoenix stood up and nearly shoved Koru out of the way. "I'm gonna go find your cooks. I'm gonna fuck them up, fuck up their brothers, and their sisters, and then I'm gonna fuck up their dog. And the dog didn't even _do_ nothin'."

"You don't even know where they are. _I_ don't even know where they are!" Roy called out. "Come back and take a shot."

"No, I'm livid. Fuck these guys." Phoenix stepped up to the circular door. It slid open at his approach. "Oh and Roy, put some damn pants on!" He yelled as he stormed out of the room and up into the hallway.

Roy shrugged and tossed back his shot, then reached out and grabbed a slice of pizza. "He'll be back. Besides, it's not that bad."

Koru nodded in agreement and sat down on the couch after grabbing another cup full of water for himself. "More for us." He picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite, savoring the flavors of the sweet pineapple chunks with the salty ham slices. After a moment, he looked over to Commander Roy. "I would appreciate it if you put pants on, though."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Fine. For you."

 **IV**

Judas bowed his head and outstretched his staff to the vanguard before him. A wall of impenetrable, solid darkness formed and deflected the barrage of electrified lead that Zavala brought to bear. The other vanguard stared, almost dumbfounded, for a brief instant.

It was all he needed. He had taken enough of their time.

He spoke softly, and his voice rocked the entire chamber with its gravity. "For the great day of his wrath has come." He raised his head and sent the shield away to dissipate into smoke. "And who shall be able to stand?" He tapped the end of his staff against the stone on the ground and commanded the forces of the void to raise him up from the floor with his arms aloft. In his right palm he held a growing ball of violet energy.

Cayde watched, optics wide and mouth agape. "Uhh, guys, I don't mean to sound -"

Ikora snapped back into focus. "Scatter!" She yelled and took a blind leap backward, hoping against hope she could land upon the floating platform.

Judas swept his hand in a wide arc in front of him. A deep violet swirling mass of pure energy was lobbed down at where Ikora had once stood, and it split into two others that careened down toward Cayde and Zavala.

Zavala's eyes widened with sudden realization as he watched the nova bomb drop down to the ground in front of him. Thinking quickly, he planted his boots firmly on the ground and spread his arms wide, feeling the void light from within pour out from his very being. A softly humming dome of thick, indigo light formed around him. He was shrouded within his own ward of dawn bubble shield as the explosive mass erupted into a turbulent roil that rocked the entire room. He grit his teeth and concentrated, grabbing the edge of his shield and forcing more light, more strength, into it.

Cayde nearly tripped over himself as he wheeled around and tried to outrun the devastating blast. He felt the ground shake behind him. He threw his arms out in front of him and leapt down the broken stairs, twisting into a rolling dive as he did.

Judas-33 floated high above the chaos. As the dust cleared, he saw the vanguard peering up at him with fear, hatred, and panic burning in their eyes. Zavala dropped to his knees within his own protective shield that flickered and whined. Ikora stared up at him with dismay behind her normally calm eyes. Cayde-6 peered out from behind a corner, his optics flitting about their arena as if searching for an escape. It was glorious. He rose his staff, Erebor, higher. The flared cross atop it almost glowed with radiating blackness. From its arms and head shot three tendrils of pure darkness toward his enemies. They lanced through the air, screaming.

Zavala watched in horror as the lance of darkness sliced through his ward of dawn. He threw himself to the side and pulled himself back onto his feet. He roared in rage, and fear from deep down, as he let loose another volley of fire from his thunderous machine gun at the floating warlock. "You will fall today!"

Cayde slipped back into cover and took a wide step to avoid the rushing spear. It punched through the very stone he had once thought of as adequate protection. It writhed and thrashed, eager for him. Instinctively, he drew a knife from his belt and slashed at the horrid thing. The tendril recoiled, its amputated tip melting into thick acrid smoke.

Ikora took half a step and turned to the side to avoid being skewered by the attack. She saw it crash through the stone platform she was standing on, but it did not move beyond trembling. She looked up to Judas. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that this was not the man she had once known. This was not the hopeful guardian she had nurtured. Not the warrior she had been proud to call her student. She blinked away the hot tears welling in her eyes.

"Hey guys, if anyone has a plan, that would be _real_ swell right about now." Cayde offered, drawing his pistol, its matte black finish accented with a white spade design. "'Cause this is a _little_ out of my league, if I'm gonna be totally honest with you."

Judas brought up another shield of pure darkness to stop Zavala's hail of lead. Within a breath his tendrils of darkness dissipated into thick smoke. He looked over his shoulder to the bright Vex light construct, and his ghost being steadily enveloped by the alien technology. Somewhere in the back of his mind, from the annals of infinity, he could hear its wailing cries of agony.

Zavala grunted with some effort and backed up to take cover, however potentially useless, behind a thick stone pillar. "How do we break through? Ikora?"

The warlock vanguard clenched her jaw. The shotgun in her grasp seemed to be a manifestation of her failures. She needed to focus, to find a way to conquer this obstacle. By the Traveler, she thought, I never thought this day would come.

"Ikora!" Cayde shouted. "What do we do here? I'd say run, but, well, the door is shut so that's not an option." He checked to affirm his statement, and saw that the stone door they had entered from was closed off once again, its triangular engravings gone dark.

Ikora Rey looked up to Judas, her eyes calm but her voice on the verge of dropping into a quivering breakdown. "Bring him down. Bring him to _me_." She clenched her fists and took another breath, a sharp inhalation.

Zavala frowned. "How do you propose we do that?" His luminous eyes scanned the room. "Unless…"

"Hey, Zavala!" Cayde called out. He waited until he caught the titan vanguard's eye. "Pull." He stated simply as he crept around to ascend the stone stairs again.

The titan nodded with a smile barely touching his lips. "Understood."

Judas nearly laughed as he watched his ghost, Strix, meld with the Vex pillar. Soon.

Zavala summoned a ball of pulsing purple light in his left hand. He called out to the warlock, breaking him from his stupor. "Judas! Catch!" Before the warlock could respond, he tossed the ball up toward him, leaving a faint purple streak trailing through the air in its wake.

Judas turned to see the grenade arcing toward him. He moved midair slightly and watched it miss him completely, rising up above his head. It pulsed once with a bright flash, but did not explode. He looked to Zavala with palpable disappointment. "A grenade? I expected more."

Cayde took careful aim and fired a single shot.

Judas snapped his attention to the hunter and raised his staff for defense and retaliation. He saw the bullet whiz by behind him. He relaxed and nearly let out a chuckle. "How the mighty have fallen."

Too late Judas heard the grenade pop with a forceful explosion above and slightly behind him. His entire world went white and faded to black. Distantly, he could feel his control on the void slip, and his grip on Erebor falter. Was he falling? There were no answers, or time to seek them.

Cayde rushed up after his shot and did not bother to check if he had made it. He threw out his wrist-mounted magnetic grappling hook to coil around a jutting section of Vex metalwork high upon a massive pillar. He jumped and swung wide around the pillar, shifting his weight and kicking out his legs. There was no time to enjoy the rush of wind or the exhilaration of careening over a bottomless abyss. He planted his boots into Judas's back as he dropped from the sky and kicked the warlock down onto the platform Ikora was waiting on. He dropped down and watched as Judas landed hard on his back at Ikora's feet.

Zavala leapt down onto the platform as well, opposite Ikora. He met her eyes and nodded. He planted his boots and took a deep breath as she readied herself.

Ikora raised her right hand to the ceiling, her gloved fingers twisting in incantation. Energy jumped between her fingers and palm with crackling sparks. At last she slammed her outstretched palm down on Judas's chest. A massive bolt of lightning rushed down from the abyss above and rocked his entire body with a resounding thunderclap. "Now!" She yelled as her entire form was overcome with waves of crackling energy and bolts of jagged lightning that almost seemed to lift her off the ground.

Zavala grit his teeth, weathered the storm, and summoned the void once again. This time he held it out and away from himself, forming a protective shield with his ward of dawn that encased the two warlocks. The lightning streams emanating from Ikora's trance were completely contained, bouncing along the walls of the shield and arcing back on themselves. Even as Zavala pressed his palms to the dome to keep the walls solid and to keep the warlocks confined in the small space, his muscles spasmed and his teeth chattered with the current rushing through his body, as well.

"Yeah!" Cayde called out victoriously, "Welcome to the Thunderdome! Haha… hey Zavala, name that movie."

Zavala shut his eyes tight to focus on the task at hand.

Draped within the protective canopy of Zavala's ward of dawn, Ikora caught Judas's form in a web of arcing electricity with one hand, and lifted him up with the electromagnetic forces at her command. She threw a punch that caught him in the metal jaw. She felt the satisfying crack of broken metal and its pathetic scrape as it ground against itself. She rained blows down on him, each fueled by the storm raging in and around her.

Judas forced his eyes open and was immediately overtaken by the wracking spasms of torrential pain that twisted his entire body in painful convulsions. He screamed.

Ikora thrust her palm against his chest and sent him slamming into the wall of the dome. She rocked his head with merciless punches, crying out now in fury and wailing with each successive strike. "It didn't have to be this way!" Her voice broke and her eyes, crackling with lightning unconstrained, were wet with tears. "You could have _changed_! You could have been a _hero_!"

Judas struggled to maintain his grip on Erebor. He managed to bring it before him, grasped it with both hands, but it could not effectively stop his old mentor's tirade. He tried to plant it upon the stone, and found no comfort even when he managed such a miniscule task while being torn asunder by her rage and light.

Ikora at last felt the rush of the storm fade from her being. She rushed forward and grabbed Judas by one shoulder, using her right hand, balled into a shaking fist, to repeatedly rock his metal skull with increasingly sloppy blows. The electricity faded to a steady current, then blinked out of existence as she channeled her excess energy into each punch. Her grip faltered. Her eyes dripped with tears as she stared upon the broken, twisted face of the man she used to know. She threw another punch.

Judas slumped against the wall of the dome and his optics darted around wildly. He had weathered the storm. He clutched Erebor to his chest and gathered his wits slowly even as Ikora continued to assault him. He barely heard her words anymore. His head rang more with each hit.

"Why? _Why_ did it come to this?" She watched as Judas slumped and slid down the wall, his body limp but still convulsing. "Why couldn't I see this coming?" Ikora backed away and clutched at her chest, eyes wide as she began hyperventilating against the wall.

Zavala looked through the bubble to Judas lying prone on the ground, then to Ikora and her discarded shotgun on the floor. " _Finish it_ , Ikora!"

Ikora looked up as if she were being addressed by a stranger. At last she understood. "R...R-right." She muttered weakly as she bent low to pick up her weapon. She stepped over to Judas and leveled the barrel at his face. Her finger twitched on the trigger.

Judas stared up at her. His body lay mangled and his face was a tattered mess. He stared into the barrel of Ikora's shotgun, its orange glowing sights bearing down on him. Her eyes were still streaming tears, but she was not so visibly panicked any more. The darkness of death was deeper than that of infinity, he realized. She planted one boot on his chest.

Zavala loomed above him after dismissing his ward of dawn.

Ikora pulled the trigger.

Judas summoned a deep vortex where the buckshot would have torn into him.

In a flash of darkness he was gone from beneath her.

He reappeared behind Zavala.

He formed another vortex, this one facing the titan. The buckshot pellets shot out from the void and slammed into his back. Zavala grunted in surprise and pain before falling down to his knees.

Ikora stumbled when he disappeared from under her foot. Her eyes were wide with fright. When Zavala fell, she held back a panicked scream. She tried to take another shot at Judas.

Judas jammed the head of his staff into Ikora's throat as she stumbled forward. He thrust and cut into her windpipe as he lifted her up off the ground and let her drop hard. He stabbed the blunt end of his staff into her chest. She let her shotgun fall from her grasp and clutched madly at the metal rod in her chest. She coughed up blood.

Zavala groaned and tried to roll over. He reached for something on his belt.

Cayde gasped and fired high impact rounds into Judas's back. The warlock did not seem fazed, though his body jerked with each one. "Okay, back up and let them go, man." He tried to plead with him.

Judas kicked Zavala hard in the side, turning him over onto his back. The titan looked up at him with hate in his bright blue eyes. The warlock lifted up his staff and swung it down toward Zavala's skull swiftly. With a hard crack, the titan vanguard's head lolled to the side and a sheet of dark blood flowed from his temple to stain the dry stone. His arms went slack at his sides. Judas took another swing for good measure, dark blood splattering the flared cross at Erebor's head.

Cayde backed up a few steps. This wasn't happening, it couldn't be. He reloaded his hand cannon. His fingers felt clumsy. He dropped a few shells onto the ground, and they clattered and rolled away uselessly.

Judas looked to Cayde now. Dark energy from the void swirled around his legs and lifted him up a few inches above the ground. He hovered across the gap to land opposite Cayde. His optics flitted up to the Vex pillar. And he laughed, a hollow macabre echo of joy. "Rejoice." His jaw was barely hanging on by a tenuous string of inorganic sinew. The word came out messy and inhuman.

Cayde fired another round into Judas's chest. The warlock's body jerked as it was rocked by the impact, and he stumbled, but he did not stop his approach.

The mad warlock's face contorted horribly for a moment. His jaw reverted back into place, his Vex eye's lens uncracked itself, and even his body seemed to straighten up. The holes in his black robe were filled in with their original fabric. Lead bullets that had been shot into his back were pushed out of his metallic flesh and dropped to the ground. When he at last stopped his approach to stare Cayde down, he looked as untouched as the moment when they had arrived.

"That's a really neat trick, Judas." Cayde tried to muster as much confidence as he could. He raised his weapon and fired again, again, again. Each bullet punched into the warlock's body and face with no resistance from his target. Almost immediately after each one dug its way into him, however, they reversed direction and dropped to the ground harmlessly, even the entry wounds disappearing. Cayde continued to back up as Judas approached. He needed a way out of this.

Suddenly, Judas was gone.

Cayde wheeled around and was now face to face with Judas. The hunter drew a knife from his belt and slashed at the warlock.

Judas hissed in pain and brought his staff up to bear. Cayde dropped into a low combat stance, reversing the grip on his serrated combat knife.

Judas teleported again. Cayde turned and kept his optics open. When Judas stepped out of the darkness with his staff poised for a strike, Cayde was able to duck out of the way. He fired once into his enemy's chest, but it was quickly healed like all the rest.

"Come on, I can do this all day." Cayde rolled his shoulders and kept his head on a swivel. Right. He feinted left and stabbed Judas in the throat. Left. He stepped back and fired twice at him. Behind. He dropped low and rolled away, no chance for a counter. Front. He took a wild slash at the warlock's knees that didn't even come close to connecting. Behind. He fired again, but nothing. Left. He tried to bring up his knife, but found himself slashing at an inky void.

Cayde's heart would have stopped if he had one.

"Oh _shit_." He muttered.

Another inky void appeared from the other side. He felt the sting of his own blade dig into his left arm, just shy of the wrist. He recoiled and kept his weapons close to him. He could not see Judas at all.

Another void appeared, and another. Bullets he had fired that missed punched into his chest, back, gut, and legs. His fingers spasmed and he nearly dropped to his knees.

Judas reappeared directly in front of him, holding his staff in both hands. He spoke, his voice restored to the booming volume it had been. "Your injury has no healing. Your wound is severe."

Cayde took a seething breath and rose up straighter. "The fuck did I _just_ say?" He gasped in pain and brought his gun to bear again. He could barely keep a steady hand as he tried to take aim at Judas. "I can do this… All _day_ , fucker. Let's go."

Judas tilted his head slightly, his metal jaw contorting into a frown. He swung his staff hard and knocked the pistol out of Cayde's shaking grasp. It went skittering across the ground and fell down into the infinite abyss.

Cayde grunted and rushed forward, switching his knife from his right to his left hand as he did. His steps were slow, and each footfall shot searing pain up his legs. He tried to leap, but could only muster enough jump to take a slightly bigger step toward the warlock. Nonetheless, he went in for a quick slash at his face.

Judas's arm shot out and caught Cayde by the throat. The hunter's slash fell pathetically short. Cayde stabbed the knife into Judas's arm to no avail. He lost his grip on it, and when the wound healed and forced the blade out, it fell to the ground as well. Judas forced Cayde's left arm behind him, and his right arm clutched madly at the warlock's hand on his neck.

Judas spoke triumphantly. "Behold, I am against you. I will _burn_ your chariots in smoke, and the sword shall _devour_ your young lions. The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall _devour_ the bars -"

Cayde interrupted him, his voice weak and strained. "Yeah, yeah that's cute Judas. You beat us. But," He paused as he struggled to speak with Judas crushing his voicebox. "I know something _you_ don't."

The warlock humored him. "What could that _possibly_ be?"

Cayde almost smiled. " _I_ am not left-handed."

The hunter vanguard raised his free right hand and in a flash of golden light, a gleaming handgun as radiant as the sun itself flared to life in his grasp. His entire body seemed to glow a vivid, flaming orange. Cayde took aim at Judas, point blank, and fired a red-hot bullet charged with the light of the stars into his center mass.

Taken aback, Judas nearly dropped Cayde. He stared down at the hole in his chest. A lesser guardian would have immediately crumbled into ash. As it was, the wound was slowly expanding and eating away at him, its progress slowed by the mysterious healing process. After a tense moment, it was completely reversed.

Cayde shrugged weakly and pulled the trigger again, again, again, again, again.

The pain burned into Judas's very soul and he was forced to throw the hunter to the ground. He clutched at the expanding holes in his chest and stomach, gasped as he choked on dust and ash that burned his insides. His mind was racing, boiling, and frozen all at once.

At last Cayde seemed to run out of bullets from his golden gun, and lay on the ground looking up to the ceiling. He coughed, a hollow tinny sound. "Well, I tried, guys." He craned his neck to see Ikora and Zavala laying upon the floating platform, unconscious and bloody.

Judas howled in excruciating agony even as the burning consumption of his being was reversed. He slammed his staff on the ground and leaned heavily upon it as he healed from his grievous, near-fatal wounds. The torment of fire dwindled and he found himself able to stand tall again. He strode slowly over to where the defeated hunter vanguard lay on the rocky ground. He pressed the end of Erebor against his stomach.

Cayde looked up to Judas with a mighty effort. His arms were limp at his side, his legs splayed out. He was exhausted. With a croak he managed, "What have you become?" He hoped it was profound enough to give the warlock pause.

Judas looked down at him for a long while. Then he spoke. "God."

Cayde felt a stabbing pain in his gut and yelled out, trying to grab at the staff and pull it out of himself. It was useless and the staff was slick with blood. His vision swam and faded red, then black, before he finally felt the world disappear around him.


	11. Chapter 10: Light Bearers

**Chapter Ten: Light Bearers**

"Did you hear what happened to Fireteam Trinity?" Lilei Nizo asked her teammates, looking up from her datapad to the other women. She was sat back on an uncomfortable bunk in the hold of Ozara's heavily modified, retrofitted passenger ship. The huntress shifted her posture and scanned the screen again.

"No," Eve said simply. Her boots thudded in an uneven rhythm against the steel floor as she paced nervously through the hold. She held her chin in one gloved hand as she looked down to the ground.

"What happened?" Ozara-4 leaned forward from her seat on a crate shoved up against the bulkhead. Her bright blue optics glowed with genuine curiosity. She rested her forearms on her heavily plated kneepads.

"Apparently," Lilei read the lines of text once more, her bright silver-steel eyes scanning the words as if they might be secretly lying to her, "They lost two of their guardians on Venus."

"How?" Ozara inquired.

"Which ones? When?" Eve asked. They knew Fireteam Trinity well, and her heartbeat slowed with mounting terror. "That's most of the team." She added in a whisper.

"A few days ago." Lilei addressed the questions in reverse order. "Salvatore-9 and Rafael Solórzano." She read the names slowly. Then she added, "Oh, poor Elise."

"What happened?" Ozara repeated.

"The report doesn't say much. Missing in action and presumed dead during a routine patrol outing. According to Elise, they all split up to cover more ground. Salvatore went dark first, and Rafael was apparently called in for a special assignment for the vanguard." She took a seething breath as if pained. "He never came back."

"Damn it." Eve shook her head. Her nervous pacing did not diminish. "I didn't need to hear that news right now. Not right now."

"Sorry." Lilei looked up to the warlock, then set down the datapad next to her.

"It's fine. We have a little time. Just… damn it." Eve's fists clenched and she looked up to the plain ceiling and the softly humming lightbulb. She took a sharp breath and fought past the lump in her throat. By the Traveler, she thought, that's a big loss.

Lilei turned to Ozara. She needed to give Eve a moment to process this. "What do you think Elise will do?"

The titan woman seemed to frown, as best she could as an exo, and clasped her hands in her lap almost daintily. "Well," She started, "First she'll have to mourn. They were good men. Then she'll have to find another squad, or pick up some younger guardians to fill their boots. It will not be easy."

"And what about their name?" Lilei continued, "Do you think she'll retire the name Trinity? It was rather personal for them."

"That depends." Ozara responded simply. Her optics seemed to dim. "Usually fireteam names are retired only when all the members of the team are put out of commission. I think it's really up to her. She could either put it behind her, or try to fill the gap."

Eve Delaine plopped down in a seat attached to the wall, her emerald eyes drained of their color and vibrancy as she stared ahead blankly. She sighed and hung her head.

Lilei asked, "How do you know so much about it, Oz?"

Ozara looked the huntress in the eyes. "I've been around a long time, Lily. I've seen a lot of guardians come and go. I trained a lot of them myself, only to hear the rumors and read the reports that they're gone." She nodded toward the datapad next to Lilei on her bunk. "It used to feel like a personal failure. Some things you just get used to, even if you don't want to."

"I guess." Lilei grimaced and drew the knife from her hip, produced a whetstone from her belt, and began running it along the edge to sharpen it. She did not looked up from her task, but continued speaking. "What happens to a guardian when they die?"

"They get revived by their ghost." Ozara answered, a wry smile in her voice.

Lilei rolled her eyes. "I meant when they _don't_ come back."

"I know." Ozara shrugged and glanced toward Eve with a frown. The warlock had still barely moved. "No one really knows, though. It's one of the last great mysteries of life. I have a theory, though."

"Titan theories are notoriously _foolproof_." Lilei's response dripped with sarcasm.

Ozara laughed. "Well, there's an old legend, pre-Golden Age by thousands of years, that talks about the World to Come."

"So what, we just go somewhere else?" The huntress was not impressed.

Ozara shook her head. "No. You see, the World to Come is a perfect place even beyond the dead. The Traveler represents order, light, and good made real. It is the messenger of the World to Come, and when we die, our light shines on to guide the still-living. Guardians become the stars in the night sky that pierce the darkness and offer hope and vision to the rest of us. They live as stars until they are finally called to the World to Come at the end of the universe."

"So we leave and wait around for eternity?" Lilei was still unimpressed, though the fuller explanation gave her thoughts to ponder.

"If that's how you choose to view it, sure. But like I said, that is only my theory. I think it's a beautiful thought, and I hope I am right. Some others think our light, or souls, return to the Traveler. But if that were true," Her voice dropped slightly, "Then maybe it would have enough to have woken up by now."

"I guess we'll never know." Lilei shrugged and sheathed her knife after she was satisfied with its edge.

"And if we do," Ozara agreed, "We won't be able to tell anyone."

Eve at last spoke, softly, but her voice cut through the idle conversation cleanly. "Can we focus, please?"

"Right." Lilei was quick to respond in a tone just shy of apologetic.

Ozara nodded in the affirmative and looked to the leader of Fireteam Hades. Eve sat up straighter in her seat and seemed to have regained her composure almost completely.

"Our last match starts soon. We have our game plan," She looked to each of them in turn. "Lilei cuts to the side for a flank. We test them in the center, Oz, and be ready to move in when we get the signal."

"Or you hear lots of bullets and screaming." Lilei amended.

"Right. Or that." Eve nodded. "We need to be aware of who we're going up against, too. And we won't know that until we're on the ground."

"Any thoughts who it could be?" Ozara asked. "Not many teams are capable of making it this far in the Trials. Naraka? Morrigna?"

Eve shrugged. "Could be anyone. Remember last week?" She grimaced and clenched her jaw remembering their embarrassing defeat at the hands of Fireteam Pluto. "Ever since those idiots pulled a win on us, guardians who never thought they had a chance in the Trials have been pouring in. Remember our first round this week against those Fireteam Leaf kids?" She scoffed in disdain.

Ozara gave Eve a long look. "Those _idiots_ that beat us last week are also our _friends_ , Eve."

The warlock furrowed her brow. "Maybe they shouldn't be."

Ozara could sense the bitterness in her words. Still, she pressed on. "How long are you going to keep this up?"

"I don't know." Eve looked away toward Lilei as if it would stop Ozara from pressing the issue.

It did not. "It's been days, Eve. When are we going to work through it?"

"I don't know. I don't want to talk about it." Eve huffed, crossing her arms.

"Are you sure?" Ozara kept the pressure on.

"Oz," Lilei's words seemed to snap at the air, "She doesn't _want_ to talk about her ex. It's not a big deal. Let it go."

Ozara shifted her attention to Lilei. "It is a bigger deal than you think it is. He was nice -"

Lilei cut her off. "He was a creep, _and_ an asshole. Never did like him."

"I wonder why." Ozara retorted. "At least he was _different_. And if he wasn't important," She turned to Eve once more, "Then you wouldn't be so broken up about this."

"Oh please, _she_ dumped _him_." Lilei offered. It fell on deaf ears.

"I'm fine." Eve countered simply. She wanted to go and fight, not discuss her personal life. She sighed.

"No." Ozara stared her friend down. "All you do is work, eat and sleep. Last night you locked yourself in your room and cried yourself to sleep."

Eve stiffened. "That wasn't because of him."

"Then what was it about?"

The warlock frowned. "The Chinese place forgot the extra spring rolls I ordered."

"Eve," Ozara's voice was soft now. "You _know_ that's not a rational thing to sob over."

"I also accidentally tipped the delivery boy an extra twenty glimmer." She muttered.

Ozara hung her head and seemed to sigh in resignation. "All right, we can discuss it later."

"Thank you." Eve said blankly. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stand.

"I just worry about you." Ozara added, looking up to the team leader and watching her gather her things and straighten her rose-red trenchcoat.

Lilei slid into the conversation in an effort to change the topic. "Hey, we should get down there. It's almost time to start."

Eve nodded without a word and motioned for Ozara to open the back hatch of the ship. The titan did as she was bade without hesitation, and the hydraulic system hissed as the airlock was released, the door opened into the cold, clear brightness of midday Old Russia, and the ramp extended down to the ground. The warlock led the way as she readied her blood-red assault rifle.

There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun shone with bright intensity. A light breeze swept Eve and Lilei's hair gently and tickled Ozara's extendable ear antennae. Hollow buildings were rusted shells of their Golden Age selves, made of crumbling brown bricks that barely seemed to hold themselves together. Scattered at the bases of many structures were piles of debris nearly as tall as a person.

Fireteam Hades wove their way through the now-familiar labyrinthian ruins of the Golden Age. Eve looked up to the distant, more structurally sound rooftops surrounding the arena and spied a male guardian, a titan, in faded red armor and flanked by two thin frames painted a similar color. She offered him a silent nod in greeting, and he returned it before resuming his task of scanning the horizon for threats. Redjacks, she knew, were hand-picked by Lord Shaxx to deter any interference in Crucible matches. She had only seen one other today, but she was well aware that there were easily a dozen or more of them, and twice as many battle-ready frame robots, all around them overseeing the Trials of Osiris.

"Well look who finally crawled out of bed." A familiar, grating voice called out from ahead of them.

Leaning against the base of a long-empty rusted water tower, clad in disgustingly bright orange and bulky, spiky armor, was Clarence Roy Smallwood, the titan and de jure leader of Fireteam Orcus. The warlock of the team, Arda Maras, in a navy blue robe and black boots, was leaning against him and grinding her rear end into his crotch slowly as he held her by the hips. The hunter, Klein-3, wore deep red armor with a short gray cloak, and stood just off to the side to watch the women approach.

Clarence made a show of reaching up to squeeze Arda's breasts as he spoke to them, his baby blue eyes locked on Eve. "Your latest lay must have given it to you hard to make you this late." He laughed with a cocky grin and shook his blond locks out of his face.

Arda giggled and fluttered her eyelashes at them, her bright red eyes shining. She gyrated her hips seductively, teasingly as she ran one hand through her jet black mohawk.

"How did you even get this far?" Eve ignored his obvious attempts at denigration. "Weren't you taken down in the first round last week?" Her full lips curled into a sly smirk.

Clarence, flustered, visibly stiffened. "It was a fluke. You got taken out too, by the same chumps." As if suddenly remembering, he added, "The poor little loser you have to put up with in the sack, right? What was his name…" He trailed off.

She ignored his admittedly weak attempt at an insult. "Rules violation," Eve pointed to Ozara. "A dumb bet," She pointed to Lilei. "And I got suckerpunched. At least we weren't all taken out by _one_ titan."

Klein piped up, his pastel pink optics flitting between the three women of Hades nervously. "I think his name was Corey, or something."

Arda scoffed. "Ugh, it was _Koru_."

"Whatever. _I'll_ call him a little cuck bitch after today." Clarence shrugged and proceeded to slip his hands between Arda's legs to massage her inner thighs gently through her tight pants. "See what you're missing out on, Eve? I know you want me."

Lilei scowled at him. "Trust me, she doesn't."

Arda shot back, "No one asked for your opinion, dyke."

The huntress of Hades stared the warlock of Orcus down. "I'll kill you first." She said simply.

"Try it, butch." Arda pursed her painted lips and blew a mocking kiss at Lilei.

Ozara stepped in close to Eve, but never took her optics from their opponents. "Don't let them get into your head."

Eve nodded and pulled on her helmet, bronze in color and elegantly engraved with a wide-reaching tree. "Yeah. I know." She said simply. Her eyes burned with fury. Her trigger finger twitched.

Lord Shaxx's voice boomed across the arena to announce the beginning of the match. "THE FINAL ROUNDS OF THE TRIALS OF OSIRIS ARE UNDERWAY. PROCEED TO YOUR STARTING POSITIONS AND FIGHT WELL, GUARDIANS." Eve noted that it was markedly generic, and after a moment understood that it had been pre-recorded. Likely, she surmised, to account for the huge influx of new combatants in this week's tournament.

"Well, that's our cue." Klein announced and donned his helmet, ducking behind the water tower quickly.

Clarence and Arda were slower to follow his lead. They kept their gazes on Hades as they did so, then filtered out slowly toward their starting point. Clarence gave Eve a wave that ended with an unsubtle pelvic thrust before he left.

At last Eve took a single step backward, then turned on her heel swiftly. Ozara and Lilei followed.

Ozara's helmet, thickly plated with a T-shaped visor, was simple and lacked complex designs. She hefted her trusty, rusty, somewhat dusty shotgun, remiss that she was barred from bringing her Cabal phalanx shield into this fight.

Lilei put her helmet on, a gilded one with a wide V-shaped visor lined with ornate filigree. She drew her sniper rifle and announced resolutely, "Dibs on the dumb slut."

 **II**

Koru Sen's head throbbed with every heartbeat as the blood rushed to his head. His mouth was dry and his neck was stiff. He forced his eyes open and pushed himself up to a sitting position on the sofa. The pizza was half-eaten and laying in scattered slices in the boxes. He massaged the nape of his neck and recoiled as the sharp stench of vomit assaulted his nostrils. Faintly, he could taste the horrid bile in the back of his throat and it seemed to dig itself into his nasal cavity. He saw the bucket that once held bottles of rum set next to where his head had been, now it held shards of glass and its rim was streaked with dried vomit.

He looked around the ready room but neither of his teammates were there. He managed to stagger to his feet and wipe his mouth before the oncoming headrush fueled by dehydration caught up to him. He plopped back down and focused on breathing and regaining his vision.

"Think," He muttered weakly as he adjusted his white coat. It had become loose and scrunched up in his apparently fitful drunken stupor and ensuing sleep. "What happened?"

He wracked his brain, but nothing came to mind.

"Yup," He mused as he pulled himself to his feet again. "I have a problem."

He made his way to the sleeping area that had been cordoned off upon arrival. He dropped down to his knees to cup a mouthful of the stale water from the washbasin up, savoring its feeling if not its flavor. After a few more deep drinks he rose and wiped his lips clean on his sleeve. He approached the main circular door and it slowly hissed open. Koru stepped into the hallway. The air here was cool, but carried the scent of iron with each pleasant breeze.

Koru's head still pounded, but the pain in his forehead was fading slowly. He trailed his fingers along the wall of the low hallway and stepped up the stairs, through the empty corridors lit by ambient orange lamps. Eventually he made his way up into a wide room full of consoles manned by several Fallen crew members, all of low rank, who snapped their attention up to him when the door opened audibly. He took a few steps into the room, and the technicians seemed to regard him curiously before returning to their tasks. They were stiff in their movements and seemed to keep an eye on him as he wove his way through the room and up a few more stairs to continue on his way.

"Curious." He wondered aloud. "The throne room should be nearby. I wonder where the bridge is?" If Commander Roy and Phoenix were anywhere, it was in one of those locations. Or, he thought, the kitchens. Or the hangar. "They could be anywhere." He sighed in exasperation and kept moving forward.

Eventually the network of criss-crossing hallways brought him to the Kell's throne room. He stepped up to the door and it opened swiftly. Two semicircular computer arrays were freestanding on either side of the sloped chamber, banners hung limply from the ceiling and were being removed by crews of Fallen vandals, and bulbous machinery flanked either side of the room. At the end of the room in the center of the chamber was an incredibly large, high-backed seat made from rough metal and ornamented with trophies from various military conquests, including the heads of Vex units, Hive knight swords, and a few scraps of cloth that might have once been worn by either Fallen footsoldiers or even guardians. Koru shuddered at the thought.

Lined up in front of the throne were a line of Fallen vandals standing stark still. Koru's eyes scanned the line and eventually he noticed Phoenix on the far end of it. He began his approach, and behind the Fallen, he could see Commander Roy sitting on his throne, at last wearing pants and a T-shirt, comically small in the massive seat.

"I'm telling you, they'll never beat me." Phoenix announced as he raised his hand up to his head. He seemed to place something on top, then pulled his arm away slowly.

"They have to, though. They have four arms!" Roy protested.

An attendant Fallen went down the line and handed an object to each of the participants in the competition. One by one they each attempted to add it to, as Koru observed, a growing stack of various items to balance on their heads. The attendant came around to Roy, who snatched several trinkets from him.

One Vandal's hand lightly brushed the bottom of a shock pistol and the entire pile came crashing down around its feet. It jumped, scared the one next to it, and the tumbling avalanche of miscellaneous objects went like a wave down the line, all except for Phoenix, who maintained nearly perfect stillness.

"Dawww h'oh," Commander Roy shook his head and stood up now. "Let me show you how it's done, lads."

The Fallen vandals looked to one another, then to Roy, in a mix of shame and absolute bewilderment.

"Gotta beat four." Phoenix called out smugly. He had a shock pistol, two shock knives, and a small canister of ether atop his head.

"Easy." Roy snapped back and proceeded to place a small metal box on his head. "One," He hastily placed a knife atop it, "Seven…" He reached for a pistol and gingerly rested it on the knife. "There, four!" He smiled, but just when he pulled his hand away the entire collection fell to the ground around him. "Ah, damnit."

"I am the champion!" Phoenix raised his arms up in victory and shook his head vigorously, sending the collected items scattering to the floor. "The king of balancing stuff on my head!" He cried out happily.

Koru interjected sharply, "What are you idiots doing?"

"Huh?" Roy asked.

Phoenix answered. "Rise and shine, Korrie-poo. Roy was just showing me his sweet new throne room. And then these guys were following us around, so we decided to play a game with 'em. Wanna try?"

"No." Koru responded. "Why are you playing games with Roy's bodyguards?"

"Is that what they are?" Roy asked happily. "I thought they were just my fans."

Koru sighed in defeat. He changed the subject. "Why was I left in the ready room?"

"Oh." Roy frowned. "We thought you should sleep off the rum. You downed a bottle on your own." He leaned in and whispered, as if trying to hide it from the bodyguards he was speaking over, "You got a little sad and fighty. So we let you sleep."

"Yeah." Phoenix added, "Somethin' about Eve and how you'll never get her back or whatever. I don't know, I don't remember."

"Oh." Koru's face felt flushed and he looked away, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't mean to inconvenience either of you."

"Roy," Phoenix addressed the titan, "Did Koru just _apologize_?"

"I think so." Roy agreed.

"But," Koru looked back to them, "Why wasn't I at least made aware where you were? You could have left a note."

"I can't read, bro." Phoenix retorted.

"Figures." Koru scoffed and gave the hunter a dismissive wave. "The two of you together probably couldn't muster the brainpower to operate a blender."

"I take that back." Roy shrugged toward Phoenix. "He's still a dick."

"And furthermore," Koru continued, "How long was I asleep?"

"I dunno, like, ten hours?" Roy answered unconvincingly.

"Ten hours?" Koru's mouth was agape.

"Maybe more. Space time is weird."

The warlock closed his eyes and furtively assessed the situation, accounted for the variables, and calculated the estimated time spent aboard the ketch. "It's been approximately two days since we boarded this ship."

"And?" Roy shrugged.

"Do you realize that we could have used our jumpships to travel to Pluto and back _twice_ in that time frame, with a break for dinner in the City?" Koru's voice was rising. "Now why, praytell, are we not even at our _initial destination_ after forty-eight hours?!"

Roy screwed up his face in thought, or what Koru hoped was thought, before he spoke. "I mean, the Spirits only just got this ship. Ketches aren't very fast, and this one was pretty beat up. It was gonna be slow going."

"You don't see a problem with that?" Koru asked indignantly.

"No?"

Phoenix jumped to Roy's defense. "Hey, at least we got to spend more time together and check out an actual pirate ship, though. It's like a road trip. A bonding experience."

Koru ignored him. "Instead of finishing our mission, we've been wasting time. Time that I could have spent trying to make things right with Eve. Now, who knows _what_ she's up to." He groaned in despair. "She's _probably_ got her legs wrapped around some muscle-bound egomaniac right now, all thanks to you." He pointed at Roy with an accusatory finger.

"Uh, wouldn't that be your fault? I mean technically, you were an asshole to _her_ first." Phoenix asked.

Koru glared at Phoenix but did not reply. Instead he only shook his head and turned around.

"What's your problem?" Roy asked after the warlock.

"You." Koru answered. "And this hangover." He held his palm against his forehead, now throbbing violently with each pulse and digging needles of pain into his brain.

"Pssh, that's because you quit drinkin'. Here," Roy pulled out a silver flask of alcohol. "This'll help."

Koru's shoulders slumped. "I don't think you quite understand how these things work." He took a deep breath and spoke more slowly as if to explain it to Roy. After all, other than the ready room or possibly the hangar, he realized there were few options for where he could go. "I am dehydrated from a massive intake of salt and alcohol. My head is pounding, my knees are weak, and I have very little patience for imbecilic attempts at peer pressure. Also," He amended, "I think I might be depressed."

"Oh, wow." Phoenix let out a low whistle. The sound of it seemed to stab into Koru's agitated eardrums.

"I know what you need!" Roy announced happily and descended the stairs to join Phoenix and Koru on the penultimate level, pushing past his bodyguards absently as he put away his flask. "You need a nap!"

"I just woke up." Koru added glumly.

"No, no silly. You need to go to the naptime closet!"

"Uhh, excuse me?" Koru couldn't quite grasp the words Roy was attempting to string together. "Naptime closet? That isn't what you call the brig, is it?"

"Of course not." Roy wrapped his arm around Koru's shoulder and led him down the steps with Phoenix in tow. "It's a special place I go to get rested up when I feel tired, but it's in the ready room! Come on, I'll show you."

The three guardians were followed by the entourage of a half dozen Fallen vandal bodyguards as they returned to the ready room. The stale stench of vomit assaulted their senses upon entry. Roy pointed to the couch and the chaos of its immediate surroundings as if to signal his posse to clean it up. Three of them went to the task wordlessly.

"Here," Commander Roy led Koru into the bathroom, pushing the door open.

"This is a latrine, Roy." Koru frowned.

"Sit right…" Roy held Koru's shoulders and led him to the corner of the room and let him stand in it before backing away. "Here."

"What am I supposed to do?" Koru shrugged and leaned into the corner.

"Wait for it." Roy smiled wide and motioned for Phoenix to watch.

"This is -" Koru completely disappeared from the corner.

"Ha!" Roy exclaimed with a laugh.

"Whoa," Phoenix's eyes widened in a mix of wonder and terror. "Where'd he go?"

"-stupid!" Koru finished his sentence from the other side of the door, without missing a beat. He hurriedly threw the bathroom door open and joined his teammates inside once again. "What the hell happened?"

Roy ignored his question. "Feel better?"

Koru took a moment to gather himself. "Yes… No headache, and I'm wide awake. What was that?" He asked again.

"That was the naptime closet." Roy nodded deeply with pride. "I found it when you were knocked out."

Koru stared at the corner of the room. He stepped into it again and waited, keeping mental count of how much time had passed. On the fifth beat, he disappeared again, reappearing in the ready room. Notably, he saw, he returned in a slightly different place. He rushed back into the bathroom. He cracked a smile for the first time in what must have been days. "This requires further study!"

Roy patted Phoenix on the shoulder and whispered, "That'll keep him busy."

Phoenix nodded in agreement. He spoke to Koru. "Yeah bud, you figure that thing out. We'll be around if you need us when you get bored of your nerd stuff."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Go play more drinking games." The warlock waved them off and produced a pad of paper and a pen from the pouches on his belt, and was furiously scrawling notes.

"Okay, have a good one." Roy grabbed Phoenix by the shoulder and the two of them left Koru to his own devices.

 **III**

"We cannot continue operations until this issue is resolved. I motion to lock the floor until this is reconciled." A man with olive skin, brown eyes and deep cordial speech pressed his hands onto the table in front of him. He was dressed in robes of red and white. Executor Hideo, representative for the New Monarchy organization, looked around the Tower's council's meeting room.

Seated around the circular mahogany table were the representatives of the other two City-based organizations and Lord Shaxx. The remaining four seats were vacant. The room itself was also circular, offering a spectacular view of the City from a rounded window along the back wall.

Arach Jalaal, speaking on behalf of the Dead Orbit faction, was a lean Awoken man with ashen gray skin, a gaunt face, medium length indigo hair, glowing blue eyes, and a neatly trimmed goatee. He spoke with a rasp. "I second that motion." He looked to Lord Shaxx, who sat with his back to the door. His robes were shades of grays and black.

Lakshmi-2, an exo woman with white and orange finish and softly glowing blue optics, added her voice to the consensus. Her robes were the vivid indigo, yellow and orange of the Future War Cult. "Yes, I believe that is imperative. The Future War Cult has been quite vocal about the loss of the Vanguard."

"It's been three days since the Vanguard have gone dark, and where to?" Hideo continued. "Off chasing _treasure_ on Venus?"

Jalaal added, "They must have known something was coming and fled. It's the kind of prophetic doom we have warning you all about for _years_!"

Lakshmi almost laughed. "Proselytizing is not worthy of the title 'warning'."

"You're one to talk." Jalaal shot back. "Tell me again how you plan to win an unwinnable war?"

"We would start by sending your fleets away, they only hinder us." The woman waved her hand dismissively toward him. "Cowards will always die first in war. It is their destiny."

Hideo jumped into the discussion again. "What both of you are considering is foolhardy. If we flee, we wouldn't last a decade on the run through space."

"Perhaps with the Awoken fleet's assistance -" Jalaal started. He was promptly ignored.

Hideo continued. "And if we wage a full scale war, our resources would be depleted completely. The City stands as the last safe place for humanity. You would both throw that away for selfish, illusory gains." He cleared his throat. "We need someone to step up and lead us now more than ever. A strong, wise king who can rally us beneath their banner."

"Ugh," Jalaal rolled his eyes. "It always comes back to this."

Lakshmi did laugh this time. "And who will this leader be? Who is so strong, wise, compassionate, responsible, and _perfect_ ," she let the word drip with venom, "as to fill such a mythical role?"

"That is not up for me to decide. Princes are not voted on, Lakshmi. They are made apparent." Hideo crossed his arms over his chest.

"Enough!" Lord Shaxx called out from his seat across the table from the bickering rabble. "Every council session devolves into this pointless debate between you three. I'm ending it now. We four are the last leadership the City has, and we need to _lead_ it. Not argue our philosophy." He straightened in his chair and leaned forward. Even now he did not remove his helmet in this company. They needed to see where he stood, and what his role was. He was a guardian, and they would know it. "We need a new vanguard."

Jalaal muttered, "Because that has worked _so_ well thus far."

Shaxx paid him no heed. Instead, the other representatives bickered over a new old point of contention.

Hideo scoffed. "Three voices are spread thin and weak. We need a singular voice. One city, one command, one king."

Lakshmi interjected, her words flowing smooth and soft. "There is power in threes. Balance comes naturally to the trinity, especially in matters of state. If a new Vanguard must be appointed, then I support Lord Shaxx's motion to do so."

"It's much too early to make permanent decisions." Hideo suggested, seeing that his rhetoric had wrought no new rewards, "The Vanguard are our _equals_ at this table. We need to make sure those we appoint are as reliable as the former."

Jalaal sighed with obvious disdain. "Yes, of course. Reliable. The flighty hunter who never wanted to be here was _critical_ to our operations as a governing body."

Lord Shaxx interjected. "Cayde-6 was more competent as a leader than he let on. Without him, most of us would not be where we are today, alive _or_ dead. Hunters have always been deceptive in how much they truly care about others. It is in their nature."

"Nevertheless," Lakshmi addressed the three men, "A new set of three should be appointed. In the past, Commander Zavala was approached to lead the entirety of the guardians' forces. He chose two others to stand with him. Perhaps we could mirror that event again."

"What are you proposing, Lakshmi?" Hideo asked, clearly intrigued now.

"At this table," Lakshmi explained, "Only one of us is a guardian. Yet we all agree that the Vanguard, three individuals who represent the Tower's armed forces, should be guardians, yes? Wielders of the light?" She let the question simmer among the group. She knew her plan, like all others, would come to a vote. She would need to appeal to all of their interests.

"Agreed." Jalaal relented after some thought. "Guardians should lead guardians. We simply supply them and operate within the City."

"They are the Tower." Hideo finished the other man's sentiment for him.

It was almost too easy. Lakshmi went on, "Thus, Lord Shaxx is the only council member with extensive knowledge of the guardians under the Tower's employ. I propose that he have final say on who, from every sect of the Light, to name as the new Vanguard."

"A _provisional_ Vanguard." Hideo amended.

" _Ad hoc_ Vanguard." Jalaal agreed.

The exo woman intertwined her fingers together and rested them on the table in front of her. "I respectfully add that Lord Shaxx also currently holds five votes on the matter."

Hideo stared her down. "Paragraph seven, subsection two of the Third Council Amendment -"

"Makes no mention of a single individual holding multiple seats or casting multiple votes if it is within their capabilities. It is only implied." Lakshmi shrugged.

"I request to draft a new amendment to the Council Constitution." Hideo responded.

"Another day." Lord Shaxx piped up at last only to shoot Hideo's protests down. "If I am to decide the new interim Vanguard, I have a solution in mind. As you all no doubt know, the Trials of Osiris tournament is being held as we speak across the system. For the first time since its inception, it has grown in popularity enough to necessitate nearly all of our arenas to accommodate the combatants. Many of the teams, as you are no doubt aware, sport sponsorships from each of your respective organizations."

The three nodded, silently urging him to continue.

"Therefore, the guardians that show the greatest aptitude for leadership and strength will be selected for the position." Lord Shaxx finished his proposed selection process.

"Interesting." Hideo mused. "Selecting the Vanguard through merit in combat. This could work."

Lakshmi spoke, "An interesting proposal, Lord Shaxx. But if you select a team with known allegiances to any of our organizations," She motioned with subtle nods to the men sitting on either side of her, "This could lead to a considerable conflict of interests."

"Guardians know their first obligation is to the Vanguard and the Tower. However, if abstaining from underhanded gifts and bribery proves too difficult, I remind the Council that this is a temporary solution to the problem at hand. A more intensive process may follow. For now, I see no other choice. We cannot leave the guardians without leadership another day. Now," Shaxx sat up straight again. "All in favor of proceeding to appoint a temporary Vanguard based upon leadership capabilities and martial prowess as shown in the Trials of Osiris tournament?"

"Aye." Lakshmi nodded. She kept silent, but felt the pride of victory swelling in her chest.

"Aye." The corner of Hideo's mouth twitched upwards. The possibilities were boundless.

"Nay." Jalaal frowned. He knew that the more violence-oriented guardians of the Crucible, regardless if new combatants were pouring in after Fireteam Pluto's miraculous underdog victory last week, were harder to work with than his sophistry-inclined rivals. The words he would say if he thought it could make a difference. His objection would have to be enough.

"Aye." Lord Shaxx finished. "With a vote of seven to one, the motion passes."

Hideo breathed a sigh of relief. "The floor is open."

Jalaal spoke. "Now that we've resolved one issue, I would like to discuss the possibility of opening communications with the Reef again."

"They have shown no interest in parley." Lakshmi offered.

"Yet they don't think twice to blow a scavenger ship out of the belt!" Jalaal shot back. "If we can secure official channels, my people would not be used for _target practice_."

"Well," Hideo started, but was cut off.

A blaring alarm rang in Lord Shaxx's helmet, loud and shrill enough to give all the Councillors pause.

Calmly, Lord Shaxx reached up and tapped the side of his helmet, dipping his head as he listened intently. A stream of words from an artificial voice was garbled and rushed. However, the transmission opened with an unmistakable distress signal: " _MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY._ "

Shaxx nodded once, twice. "Understood. Loud and clear. At once. Out." He clicked the call off and pushed himself to stand up. He addressed the rest of the Council, "Meeting adjourned." He hastily turned on his heel and nearly shoved his chair out of his way as he hurriedly threw the door open and walked into the long hallway and out of the room without a further word.

Arach Jalaal, Executor Hideo, and Lakshmi-2 each shared a worried glance to one another. The noon sun peeked out from behind the clouds to bathe the City below in bright light. It was almost time to break for lunch, anyway.


	12. Chapter 11: Massacre of the Innocent

**Chapter 11: Massacre of the Innocents**

Lord Shaxx's pre-recorded voice boomed over the speakers above the decrepit arena. "WE HAVE OUR WINNERS. WELL FOUGHT, GUARDIANS."

"That was bullshit and you know it." Clarence Roy Smallwood grunted with pained effort as he pulled himself from the pile of crumbling bricks and other scattered debris that his ghost had revived him upon after his unceremonious death.

Arda Maras clutched one hand to her ribs and held the other out to help the orange-clad titan to his feet. He smacked her hand away and got to his feet painstakingly slowly.

Eve Delaine's lips curled into a cocky sideways smirk. She planted her hands on her hips and watched with satisfaction as her rivals dusted themselves off. She shrugged. "There has to be a winner, Clarence. It just wasn't you."

Lilei Nizo stowed her rifle on the magnetic plate on her back. "I don't think it ever will be him."

"You're cheaters or something." Clarence pointed at the warlock of fireteam Hades accusingly. "There's no way you moved that fast." His ghost, sporting a teal shell, hovered around him to address his many grievous wounds. "And you," He growled at Lilei and grimaced. "You need to shut your mouth."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Lilei taunted him. "We all know that can't happen."

"Well," Arda hissed in pain as her ghost, with a rich forest green shell, closed her wounds in short bursts of white light. "If you learned how to have a proper gun fight, he could have."

Lilei stifled a laugh as best she could, but it escaped her throat nonetheless. "Well, if you all learned to stop bending over for grenades, maybe I would."

Clarence staggered up to come face to face with Lilei. His pale blue eyes stared with bubbling anger into her steel ones. "Hey rug muncher, you wanna go? One on one, mano y mano? If you're a good girl I'll treat you to a good fuck to make you straight, too." He did his best to summon a cocksure grin, but the huntress's deadpan gaze softened it.

Lilei did not move. She spoke through gritted teeth. "You're not worth it, Clarence. Go home and get a drink."

"Get some real skill, pussy puncher." Arda muttered even as she pulled Clarence away from the other women.

Eve crossed her arms in front of her. "You know Arda, overuse of homosexual slurs in vain efforts at degradation is more often than not used as a social camouflage to conceal the user's own latent homosexual tendencies and desires."

Arda's blue skin grew flushed and she looked away furtively without responding. She tugged on Clarence's arm and led him away even as he tried to offer a rebuttal on her behalf.

"Yeah, right." Clarence rolled his eyes. "You two really were made for each other." He forced Arda to a stop and leaned his thickly built and heavily armored body against her for support. He called out to the sky, "Hey, Klein! Let's go!"

Across the battlefield, Klein-3 lay slumped in a broken heap against an old brick wall. His ghost, with a plain light gray shell, worked to bring him back to life and consciousness swiftly. His pale pink optics flared to life and he managed to pull himself up against the wall slightly. His vision swam, and when he finally reconciled which way was up, he nearly jumped in terror at the titan standing above him. No, he thought, not again, we already lost. The hunter of Orcus brought his arms up in front of his face in a pathetic attempt to stave off the next attack.

But the blow never came. Klein blinked his optics once, twice, then peered through his splayed fingers to the titan above him, clad in black and leaning down toward him with her hand outstretched. Her helmet was off. Her face was green, her optics glowed a soft blue hue. It almost looked like she was smiling.

"Come on." She said, gesturing toward him with her hand again. "Your team is waiting."

"O-okay." Klein took her hand and she hauled him to his feet. When he nearly stumbled, she caught him and hooked his arm over her shoulders to bear his weight. He was thankful for that, since his legs were still numb and cold. Somewhere, distantly, he could hear Clarence arguing about something or another. He thought he heard him call his name.

Ozara-4 glanced to Klein. She spoke softly but with obvious sincerity. "Are you all right?"

The hunter, taken aback, could only nod.

"Good." Ozara responded simply.

"That, uhh," Klein shook his head and cleared his vision. "That was a good punch."

"Thank you." The titan responded. She lacked the heart to tell him that it was, in fact, several punches that he probably could not remember. She patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. As she led him around a corner, the rest of fireteams Orcus and Hades came into view.

"Finally!" Clarence called out with obviously exaggerated exasperation at being made to wait. "About time you caught up, Klein. Having fun without us?"

"Aww," Arda cooed mockingly, "I think he has a new girlfriend."

"Well dump her and let's go. We're blowing this place." Clarence scoffed and beckoned Klein to limp away with them.

Klein nearly jumped to be out of Ozara's grasp, and when he began to stumble and fall, the titan caught him again and set him upright. He gave her an appreciative nod. "Come on Clarence -" he started.

Clarence interrupted him. "Roy. I told you that's my name."

Thunder rumbled low on the horizon on darkening clouds.

"Clarence." Klein went on, "They're not so bad."

Clarence scowled at his hunter. "They beat us, Klein. Killed us. They're cheaters and we're reporting them to Shaxx for it."

Eve and Lilei giggled at that.

Klein sighed and hung his head low before starting to walk away toward the rest of his team. "Whatever you say."

The shuffling of feet and soft laughter faded as the moment passed. The air, however, seemed to still. No breeze blew. No sounds other than their own breath, either ragged and uneven or steady and deep.

Then a low whine rose in pitch all around them.

"Wait," Eve paused to listen. When she held up a hand in front of Lilei, the huntress quieted as well. "What is that?"

They heard the gunfire before they heard the screams. The still air carried them both in equal measure across the arena.

"Above us." Lilei scanned the rooftops and drew her sniper rifle. "I don't see -"

A titan in pale red armor was thrown from the roof and landed on the ground in a heap with a sickening crunch, a pool of his dark blood soaking the dry ground. He did not move. Another titan, the one Eve had spotted earlier, stood at the edge of the roof looking down. He was flanked by a dozen combat frames that all levelled their rifles down into the arena beneath them.

"What the fuck?" Eve gasped even as she drew her assault rifle. She looked up to the Redjacks on the roof.

Screams from the other rooftops scattered around the arena echoed through the dead halls. Bullets flew high above. A handful of Redjacks were taking pop shots across the gap between crumbling buildings. The battle frames exchanged fire with the other unseen Redjacks. The titan at the edge of the roof took aim with his own rifle at the six of them gathered below.

"Run! To the ship!" Clarence screamed. He looked up to the clear blue sky only to see his sleek blue jumpship blown out of the air with a dozen mortar shells. "Fuck!"

Ozara commanded her ghost, Boss, "Evasive maneuvers. Put that stealth drive Lilei installed to use."

" _You got it, boss._ " Her ghost replied quickly.

An inky black void materialized nearly directly in front of Klein, cutting him off from joining the fleeing titan and warlock of fireteam Orcus. He stopped dead in his tracks and scrambled a step backwards away from it.

"Take cover!" Eve called out. She stepped back and ducked behind a raised walkway, out of sight of the Redjacks.

Lilei jumped up and pressed her back to a supporting pillar a ways above them on the walkway.

Thinking quickly, Ozara grabbed Klein by the collar of his cloak and pulled him away from the void. A tendril of pitch-black darkness shot out and writhed in the air where he had once been standing. She held him back with her right arm and summoned her huge, impenetrable Cabal Phalanx shield to hold in front of her. She watched in horror as a figure stepped out of the void.

Dressed in all black, a male warlock emerged from the swirling vortex of darkness. He held a staff with a flared cross at its head. Behind him, the portal dissipated in the blink of an eye. He stepped closer to Ozara and Klein and raised his staff up.

Lilei's crosshairs hovered over the strange man's helmet for only an instant before she pulled the trigger. The bullet was swallowed by a smaller portal, however, and she heard it punch into the ground uselessly at his feet. She cursed under her breath. "Shit, Oz you gotta move!"

Eve's eyes were wide with fright as she watched the warlock approach the titan and hunter with such ease. With barely a motion from his staff he had avoided Lilei's bullet. "Oz, run!"

Ozara ignored them. She nearly pushed Klein further back behind her and raised the shield in front of her. She summoned her shotgun now and prepared herself.

"Repent." The warlock in black announced. "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." He raised his staff again and he rose from the ground to float in the air just a foot above the dirt and weeds.

"Who the fuck is that?!" Clarence yelled and took a few quick shots at the stranger with his rifle.

The warlock was unfazed, but turned to face Clarence, his nearly featureless obsidian helmet glinting in the bright light of day. He tapped the end of his staff upon the ground and summoned a mass of darkness at its top. The shadows shot out in whip-thin tendrils toward the guardians of Orcus and Hades alike.

Eve stepped back behind her cover and barely dodged the attack. Lilei hid behind the pillar and it dug into the concrete nearly a foot before it stopped its approach. The two sent at Ozara and Klein were handily deflected by the titan's shield. Clarence managed to throw himself to the dusty ground to dodge one, but Arda was pierced through the stomach.

Arda yelped in pain and clutched madly at her bleeding wound. Her cries of surprised anguish were nearly inarticulate.

Ozara took that moment to steel her resolve. She grabbed Klein by the collar again and this time shoved him toward Eve's cover. He gratefully joined her out of the new warlock's sight. She ordered them, "Run!"

The warlock turned to face her again. Even through his silence, she could feel his rage boiling over at the six of them.

"Oz, what are you doing? Come on!" Eve whispered as she slipped around the corner with Klein in tow, hoping against hope that the warlock would not turn and attack her while she led the hunter away.

The man in black perked up and wheeled around in the air to see Eve and Klein scurrying away. He raised his staff again.

Ozara rushed forward, feinted right, and bashed her shield against his raised staff. A blast of deep violet energy erupted from its tip and flew wild into the sky, detonating mid-air and raining sparks away from them harmlessly.

The titan yelled, "Just go!"

"Oz…" Lilei muttered as she watched the scene unfold from her vantage point.

Eve nearly threw Klein toward his teammates. The tendril of darkness that had pierced Arda was gone, but its wound left a gaping hole in her stomach that the muttering, frantic woman barely managed to keep any pressure on. Clarence managed to get to his feet and was limping away as best he could manage without looking back.

Eve turned to watch as Ozara bashed the warlock's strike off-course. She made to draw her sword. She gripped the hilt, but Ozara's voice stopped her cold.

"Just go! Now!" The titan repeated as she brought her shield to bear against another of the warlock's strikes.

"Oz!" Eve cried out. She couldn't move. Bullets flew across the sky. Cries of pain and death were all around.

Klein managed to help Arda stumble away behind Clarence.

Eve did not care.

Ozara clenched her metal jaw and muttered, "Boss, bring the ship down for them!"

Her ghost replied in her head. " _I can't do that, you might need to be healed!_ "

Ozara's world went still for a moment. Her mind raced. She held her ground against a heavy downward strike from the warlock's staff, charged with swirling purple energy. Lilei was watching from behind her pillar, her eyes were watering. Eve was watching from the edge of the arena, she wasn't breathing. At last she commanded, "Do it! They need to get out of here!"

" _You got it boss._ " The ghost responded sadly.

Ozara pushed back against the warlock's staff and thrust forward, hoping to drive him backward.

The warlock opened another portal in front of him, swallowing her shield into the abyss. She stared dumbfounded for a moment before stepping aside and raising her shotgun and firing several shells into the warlock's face.

The man in black hissed in pain but still did not die. The holes punched into his helmet by dozens of pellets were filled in almost as quickly as they were made. What was happening?

The roar of the ship's engines cut through the chaos for an instant before joining the cacophonous rabble all around them. It made a swift touchdown at the edge of the arena, not far from Clarence and his team. When the hatch opened and the ramp lowered, Orcus did not hesitate to scramble up into the hold. Only Klein looked back to make sure Hades was on the way, but neither Eve nor Lilei had moved.

"Go! I will hold him off!" Ozara roared and nimbly side-stepped a reaching tendril of darkness. She was too late reloading her weapon and it was batted out of her grasp by a swift strike from the warlock's staff. She was quickly running out of options.

The bullets from above stopped. Now Redjacks lined the edges of the rooftops, aiming down into the arena. They opened fire everywhere except upon the man in black.

Shells bounced off the thick hull of the ship, but enough landed near the ramp that Klein ducked back into the hold. "Come on!" He yelled.

Lilei snapped back to attention, nodded toward Ozara, and dropped down, quickly running through the hail of bullets to grab Eve by the waist and drag her toward the awaiting ship.

Eve struggled against Lilei as the huntress forced her backward. She felt weak. This wasn't happening. "Ozara!"

The man in black raised his staff again at the fleeing women. Darkness flared from the cross and shot out swiftly.

Ozara ran forward. She felt bullets pound into her back even as she jumped up. Her reactive barrier shield activated, coating her entire body in a protective translucent indigo aura of light. She activated her back-mounted thrusters and cocked her arm back. She sent a massive punch into the side of the warlock's helmet, sending him flying with the sudden impact and crashing through the steel water tower in a cloud of dust and rust. It bent, groaned, and collapsed inward upon him with a screech of twisted metal. She landed and cracked her knuckles, waiting for her foe to crawl out of the rubble.

Lilei grunted in pain as she forced herself to keep going. She couldn't look back. Eve thrashed in her grasp, but they were so close to the ship. Most of the bullets flying their way were absorbed by her energy shield, but one of the warlock man's spears of shadow had pierced through her lower leg. She dragged Eve with a limp the last few feet.

Eve screamed. But she could not break out of Lilei's grasp. "Ozara! Come on, OZARA!"

Lilei planted one boot on the steel ramp, grabbed Eve under her arms, and forced her into the hold of the ship. Klein was waiting and quickly slapped his palm on the large button to close the ramp.

"No!" Eve cried. "We can't just leave her!" She tried to push past the huntress.

Ozara dodged one tendril and managed to deflect another with a parry powered by her glowing barrier. Her victory was short-lived. A dozen more shot out from the collapsing water tank all at once now. Three of them pierced her through her middle and lifted her up into the air. The others encircled her and lanced through her wrists, feet, and wrapped around her throat.

The warlock emerged from the water tower, floating on darkness at his feet, and seemed to stare Ozara down.

Ozara turned toward the ship as it rose into the sky and the ramp closed. Her bright blue optics met Eve's watering emerald eyes for an instant before the man in black turned her face toward him. In her peripheral vision she could see the ship's nose point up and then heard the booming CRACK of it jumping into light-speed flight from a near standstill. She could still hear Eve's panicked screams of desperation in her mind.

The man in black looked her up and down slowly, as if appraising her, as he held her aloft in the air.

Ozara struggled not to break down in tears, if an exo _could_ cry, as the writhing lances of darkness worked deeper into her gut and forced her limbs into macabre contortions. She coughed up blood, oily and brownish-black.

"You will do." He said simply as he opened another portal of inky blackness behind him.

She wanted to hang her head and embrace death. He forced her to keep her head high as he floated into the darkness. "Just kill me," She shouted at him, "Please!"

He ignored her. Instead, he spoke softly, "Follow me."

With that, he disappeared into the void and dragged her with him.

It was cold.

 **II**

"Bullshit. it's definitely a planet, look at it! It's huge!" Phoenix shouted, pointing down to the dwarf planet they were descending toward in Phoenix's jumpship.

"A _dwarf_ planet, Phoenix. Besides, size is relative." Koru grunted and crossed his arms over his chest, looking straight ahead. Pluto almost seemed to rush ahead to meet them as they approached for a landing upon its surface. "We have this argument every time we come here."

"It's what we were named after, and Cayde said it was a planet." Phoenix puffed up his chest and smiled wide.

"Ikora refutes it every time." The warlock explained.

"Because she's being cranky." Phoenix waved him off dismissively.

"No," Koru spoke more slowly and clearly in a concentrated effort to convey his message to Phoenix. "It's because _she_ knows what a book is."

Phoenix shrugged. "Whatever, man. You just can't face the facts."

"No, that's you."

Commander Roy leaned forward and put his head between the two of theirs. "Well it was a planet when I was a kid so it still should be."

"Thank you!" Phoenix threw his hands up in victory. "See Koru? It's that easy. I win."

Koru scowled to the two of them. "Are you serious? We're guardians. We don't remember ever being children. In fact, neither of you two even remember what happened five minutes ago."

"Well," Roy started.

"Uhh…" Phoenix trailed off and looked away, embarrassed. "That isn't true. I had pizza today."

"That's every day." Koru smirked.

"Okay, fine. Let's move on then, okay?" Phoenix shifted in his chair uncomfortably. "Why don't we talk about your drinking problem, Koru?"

"Oh look, we're here. Let's go." Koru said quickly and put on his helmet and unbuckled the safety harness of the co-pilot's chair. He hurriedly got to his feet and walked back into the main hold.

Phoenix and Roy followed suit and joined him in the hold as Skye piloted Phoenix's ship to hover just above the rocky, dusty brownish-gray surface of Pluto. As soon as the ship pulled to a stop, each of the guardians of Fireteam Pluto's ghosts teleported them to the surface in a flash of bright light.

They made landfall. Phoenix looked up and all around them, to the underside of his sleek forest-green ship and the clouds of dust and debris that its thrusters kicked up, to the vast expanse of space above and all around them. The sun sparkled like a tiny ball of light only slightly bigger and brighter than any of the surrounding stars that dotted the cosmos. They each took a moment to adjust to their new weight, or lack thereof, in the dwarf planet's lesser gravity.

The mountains and valleys of Pluto's craggy surface rose overhead and rolled along in uneven rises and falls. It was completely silent here.

"All right Phoenix, what are we looking for?" Koru asked, his voice crackling over his teammates' headset radios.

Commander Roy giggled happily to himself as he jumped up, easily twenty feet, and came back down as if floating on air. "Guys, look! I have moon shoes!"

Phoenix did his best to ignore him. "That's nice Roy. Anyway, uhh… I don't know."

Koru stared for a long time. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I mean, Cayde never said." Phoenix shrugged.

"You can't be serious."

"Guys!" Roy called out, "I can see my house from here!"

"That's cool, Roy." Koru shook his head and looked up to the clear black sky filled with stars. "So why are we even here?"

"I ask myself that question every day, bro." Phoenix patted the warlock on his shoulder.

"You aren't helping." Koru shrugged him off and started walking off toward a nearby rise in the rocky outcroppings.

"Where are you going?" Phoenix called after him.

"Well, if we're here for no reason, I could _at least_ enjoy the view!" Koru yelled back, knowing full well he did not need to shout over his headset radio. "Might give me some inspiration." He started clambering up a steep slope and jumped up ten feet with ease to grab onto a new handhold.

Phoenix sighed and looked up to see Roy bounding up the sides of a crater a few dozen feet across with mighty strides. He pulled out his small electronic tablet from his pocket and flipped through his received messages, most of them unread, before he found the most recent correspondence from Cayde-6. He opened it, squinted, and resisted the urge to throw his device to the ground. He tapped a few commands on the screen and forwarded it to the contact he had assigned a picture of Koru to as the icon. He spoke quietly, almost apologetically. "Hey Korrie-poo, I sent you the thing Cayde sent me about this mission. I didn't see it before."

A moment of silence passed. Phoenix kicked at a small stone and was amazed to see it sail across the ground much further than he would have expected.

A burst of static was followed by Koru's voice, obviously displeased. "Phoenix, did you even read this?"

"Bro I can't read."

"Oh. Right. Anyway, it's just a -"

"Hey, question." Phoenix started.

"Yes, ask it."

"Weren't you put on the team to help me learn how to read?" Phoenix inquired.

"And to help me do numbers good!" Roy added from seemingly nowhere. Phoenix looked around, but he could not see the titan anywhere. He could see Koru sitting up on a ridge with his back to him, staring out to space.

"So, like, why are we still bad at it?" Phoenix followed up. "Are you sure you shouldn't be fired or somethin'?"

"I'm sure it's purely user error." Koru answered swiftly. "Anyway, Cayde's message just says 'good luck' with a happy cat-face smiley and a series of… random numbers… Hmm."

"Yeah, kinda weird." Phoenix admitted. He jumped up and twisted into a double backflip on the way down. He could get used to doing stuff like that.

Koru laughed a little bit. "All right, I get it now. Much simpler than I figured, but what can you expect from hunters?"

"That's racist?" Phoenix tried to make the comeback.

"Hunters aren't a race. Besides, it _is_ simple. Cayde's 'random numbers' are actually the coordinates for something here on Pluto." Koru stood up and looked back to see Phoenix jumping off of rocks to perform admittedly impressive feats of acrobatics. "Looks like we have a mission after all."

"Oh, cool." Phoenix landed on his tiptoes and stood tall and straight. "So where is it?"

"Guys!" Commander Roy giddily exclaimed over the radio, "Come here! I have something for us."

Koru checked his helmet's radar and sensory data, scanning the numbers and matching the triangulated location of Commander Roy. He sighed in defeat. "It's over near Roy. Let's go, Phoenix."

The warlock and the hunter climbed the ridge together, Koru making sure to keep steady footing the entire way. It did not take long to crest the ridge and pull themselves up. They saw the expansive rocky surface of Pluto stretch on nearly unimpeded except for the horizon. Nestled in the center of a massive crater was Commander Roy, his purple armor glinting in the faint light of the sun, waving up at them to join him.

Phoenix leapt from the ridge and somersaulted through the air several times before he hit the ground and began sliding down to the bottom of the crater. "Woohoo!"

Koru followed, albeit without the flashy entrance.

Commander Roy proudly showed off the boulder, about eight feet tall and wide, sitting in the exact center of the crater, buried only slightly. It was rounded, pitted, and a light brown color with a single vein of sparkling metal flecks. "Look!"

"Wow Roy, good job. You found a rock." Phoenix clapped for him slowly.

"Yeah!" Roy shouted happily, the hunter's sarcasm flying far over his head. "And look, he even has a name!" He pointed excitedly to another side of the rock and seemed to beam with pride.

"Uhh…" Phoenix followed and looked on, mouth agape behind his helmet. "Koru, help?"

"Sound it out." Koru laughed to himself and joined them. Stuck onto the rock was a red and white nametag, smaller than the palm of a human hand, at almost eye level with the three of them. 'Hello, my name is…' was printed on the top edge, and beneath it, written in surprisingly elegant script with permanent marker, was a name.

"D… Duh… Duh-wah-... Duh-wah-ay…" Phoenix struggled for a moment. "Duh-way-in. D… Dwayne." He laughed. "Oh, I get it!"

"It's Dwayne, the Pluto rock!" Roy laughed heartily. He plucked a flask from his belt and opened it. "To our new mascot!" He tipped it back over the mouth of his helmet, but the liquid simply fell in a slow-motion waterfall that bounced against the jaw ridge of it uselessly. He shrugged and tossed a splash of the alcohol on Dwayne.

Koru checked his data and sighed. "Cayde's coordinates also lead here." He remarked with palpable disappointment.

"Maybe he wanted us to find the rock?" Phoenix suggested.

"Possibly." Koru exhaled and inhaled deeply, holding his palms over the visor of his helmet. "He probably wanted someone to find this stupid practical joke. And he knew you idiots would eat it up."

"Come on, you gotta admit it's a little funny." Phoenix offered.

"I don't, actually." Koru groaned in obvious dismay.

"Guys," Roy said, "We need to take Dwayne with us."

"Roy, we are not dragging a boulder back to Earth. We can get you a nice Earth rock." Phoenix patted him on the shoulder.

"Aww." The titan visibly sagged with disappointment. "Well, what if _I_ dragged him back to Earth?"

Koru laughed out loud in pure emotional devastation mixed with the acceptance of defeat. This was his life. " _Sure_ , Roy. Go for it. Grab the gigantic boulder and take it with us to Earth. I won't stop you."

"Yay!" Roy nearly squealed with joy and spread his arms wide to give Dwayne the rock as much of a hug as he could manage. He whispered, "We're gonna take you home, Dwayne."

Koru watched in abject wonderment as Roy squeezed Dwayne between his arms and hoisted him up and out of the ground with a mighty effort. Dirt and dust fell away as the boulder was lifted away from the floor of the crater. Roy began the hefty task of rolling Dwayne up the steep slope of the crater toward the ship.

"Hey Koru, check it out!" Phoenix nudged him in the arm. He pointed down at the hole where the rock had been buried.

"You have got to be kidding me." Koru groaned again in surprised defeat, throwing his hands up.

Coated in a layer of disturbed dust and loose pebbles was a crushed cardboard box with heavily worn corners. Written on it, in the same sweeping script found on Dwayne's nametag were the words 'Cayde's Stash'.

 **III**

Everything was in a haze.

She didn't remember blacking out.

She didn't remember waking up.

She didn't remember screaming, crying, shouting.

She didn't remember coming back to the Tower.

She didn't remember coming back to her apartment.

She remembered the last look Ozara gave her.

She remembered Lilei holding her back.

She remembered Lilei crying.

She wished she could remember it all.

She wished she could forget it all.

Eve stirred and forced her eyes open. Narrow slits of darkening amber daylight on the floor were indicative of the mostly-blocked sunset outside. She rubbed her eyes absently with her bare hands. They were cold. She pushed herself up onto one elbow, scanning her familiar bedroom more completely. Nothing was out of place. She was wearing only her pants and a black undershirt. Her coat, gloves, and boots were set on and under the chair she kept at her desk. The dim light was barely enough to let her sit up and see that the door to her room was slightly ajar.

She spied the familiar silver-steel eyes of Lilei peeking through the gap between the door and its frame. Eve nearly choked up on the spot and forced her way past it. "Come in." Her voice came out as a pathetic croak.

Lilei was quick to open the door and step inside.

A glance to the living room showed that it was empty and quiet.

Lilei sat down at the edge of the bed next to Eve. For a moment she did not speak. She was dressed down as well, eschewing her gold breastplate, greaves and gauntlets. She had taken off her flowing white cloak to wrap around her shoulders like a blanket. "I'm sorry." Was all she said to break the silence.

Eve pulled herself over to the foot of her bed and sat closer to her friend. "What happened? I remember Ozara…" She trailed off. What did she remember about her? Her bravery against an unknown foe? Her insistence on protecting others before herself? Her eyes? Her voice?

The huntress held her hands tight in her lap. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Eve repeated.

Lilei took a deep breath through a runny nose, her eyes welling with hot tears again. She hated this. "Oz is gone."

Eve remembered the last look Ozara had given her. It had been full of such assurance. "Are you sure?" She asked desperately. But she knew it was the truth. She had seen the darkness wrapped around her, stabbed into her. But she did not want to believe it.

Lilei only nodded.

"Her ship?" Eve considered how it had managed to make a landing when Clarence's had been shot out of the sky. Normally ghosts can pilot them, but…

"It uh, it got us off the ground on autopilot. When she…" Lilei paused and shut her eyes hard. "When she was gone, Klein took the pilot's seat and got us home."

"Oh." Eve's breath stilled. "What about them? Orcus?"

"They're alive." Lilei shrugged then as if to explain she had no idea what else to say. "We split up after we landed. Miss Holliday didn't ask any questions. She uh, she asked if we needed anything." She tilted her head back and stared up at the ceiling as if it would offer her answers to her myriad of questions. "I just wanted to get you home. You were…" This time when she paused it was to find the right word. "You were hysterical."

"How many people know?" Eve looked to the window blocking the setting sun. Beyond it was the City, full of no shortage of people who had tuned in to watch the Crucible broadcast only to see a massacre unfold.

"I don't know." Lilei admitted. "I came right here. I haven't left. I've just been… thinking."

"About?"

"What else? Why." Tears streamed down her cheeks freely. "Why did it have to be her? Why couldn't I do something? Why were Redjacks killing each other? Who was that warlock, and why was he attacking us? Why, why, why." She took a deep, seething, ragged breath. "What are we going to do?"

Eve brought her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. "I don't know." She buried her face in her arms.

A hard knock from beyond the living room roused them from their lamentations. Eve nearly jumped at the sudden intrusion. She gave a glance to Lilei, who was holding her face in her hands, wiping away her tears. It smeared her makeup.

Another round of three hard knocks rang through the nearly silent apartment now. Eve rose slowly to her feet and slipped out of her room to approach the main door. She stepped over Lilei's discarded armor. The huntress appeared behind her swiftly, and waited near the sofa in the living room, clearly wanting to see who would be at the door when Eve answered.

After another three knocks that shook the wooden door in its frame, a voice, soft but stern, called out in familiar cadence. "Open up." Lord Shaxx called out plainly. His voice was as dignified as ever, but held the distinct air of haste.

Eve hurried to open the door now, but still only swung it in about halfway. The light from the hallway's fluorescent bulbs flooded in and nearly blinded her dark-attuned eyes. She squinted and did her best to stand taller, prouder. "Lord Shaxx," She managed a deferential nod. "What's going on?"

Lord Shaxx stood a head taller than either Eve or Lilei, was clad in his familiar white and orange armor, complete with fur collar and pauldrons and the visorless one-horned helmet that had become his staple. He nodded once in recognition of her deference. "Firstly, I would like to offer my condolences for the loss of your teammate, Ozara-4."

"Thank you." Lilei added from behind Eve.

Shaxx continued. Beyond him Eve could hear murmuring whispers from the neighbors. More distantly, she could hear dozens of guardian jumpships entering and exiting the Tower's hangar. "Secondly, I ask that you get your things and come with me to the Vanguard Hall immediately."

"Oh, uh, yes." Eve stepped away from the door and turned toward her bedroom. Remembering her manners, she said, "It might be a few minutes. Would you like to come in?"

Lord Shaxx rocked slightly on his heels once. He shook his head. "No. I will wait here. Please hurry." He nodded again and watched as she stepped away from the door. He stood with his back to their apartment and stared straight ahead at the opposite wall.

Eve and Lilei whispered to one another as they donned their armor side by side in the bedroom. Eve asked, "Why is he here?"

Lilei shrugged. "He could be gathering reports."

"Personally?"

"One way to find out."

The two women finished adjusting their armor and stepped out into the hall. Eve closed the door behind them. Lord Shaxx seemed to nod once, as if in approval, before he began making his way down the hall. They followed side by side.

The elevators to the Tower plaza were a short walk away. They secured a lift for themselves and were stuck in awkward, tense silence as they rose up higher and higher in the cramped cabin. Eve tried to break it. "Shaxx, why did you get us yourself?"

The large titan did not answer right away. "I was meaning to fetch you, then miss Nizo, separately. I was pleasantly surprised to see you were together."

Lilei stared at the digital display to the upper left of the elevator's doors. It ticked up with every passing floor. "Is this about what happened in our last match?"

Shaxx shifted his weight slightly. "In a manner of speaking, yes. What happened to you was, sadly, not an isolated incident. The same thing happened across every arena we had in use for the Trials of Osiris." His fists clenched at his sides, crackling with leaping electricity.

"The same thing?" Lilei asked incredulously. "Even the warlock?"

"Yes." Shaxx admitted through clenched teeth. "Everything. Redjacks turning coat, good guardians dying, and that warlock taking away some of our best fighters."

Eve's mind worked with fervent, and no doubt ill-informed, intuitions as they ascended to the Tower's plaza. The elevator began to slow down in its approach.

Lord Shaxx nearly whispered, "I will tell you more soon. Come." He stepped past the two of them and led the way through the crowded throng of guardians in the Tower's plaza. The motley assortment of titans, warlocks and hunters were all gathered and discussing amongst themselves in smaller groups, likely their own fireteams and circles of friends, the recent events of the Trials of Osiris. She overheard some whispers as they made their way through the disjointed crowd, but none of it was anything she hadn't heard before.

Shaxx descended into the corridor of the Vanguard hall. His station on the right side was unmanned and empty, though the repurposed frame Arcite-99's station on the left was servicing a line of waiting guardians procuring weapons and armor. A few of the guardians, mostly human men and women, in line gave the ladies of Hades a knowing, solemn nod as they passed by. Eve made a note that none of them were exos.

At the end of the hallway, the doors to the Vanguard office were closed off and locked. Shaxx stopped, his ghost materialized a key into his waiting palm, and he opened the sliding doors for them. The office was manned by a dozen robotic frames working at terminals along the walls. The pit where the Vanguard worked was in a similar state of functional disarray as when they had seen it last. Ikora's books were piled up and scattered across one end, Cayde's miscellaneous trinkets and tools laid out over his old map, and Zavala's holographic war map glowed a deep orange on the opposite side of the table.

Lord Shaxx barked out a series of orders to the attendant frames. "Radio silence, off record indefinitely. Reassignment order seven-dash-seven. Respond."

The frames all perked up and beeped harmoniously before responding in eerie unison. "Complying with reassignment parameters." They marched out of the office in single file and up into the Tower plaza. After the last one left, Shaxx slammed the door shut behind it. He turned to face them. "Now, down to business."

"Shaxx," Eve frowned, "What is this about?"

Shaxx was quick to respond. "Welcome to your new office. I have appointed the two of you as the new Vanguard."


End file.
